Unit F661 - Poetry and prose (Word version)

Support Material

GCE English LiteratureOCR Advanced Subsidiary GCE in English Literature: H071

Unit: F661

This Support Material booklet is designed to accompany the OCR Advanced Subsidiary GCE specification in English Literature for teaching from September 2008.

© OCR 2007

Contents

Contents 2Introduction 3GCE English Literature: H071 F661 Poetry and Prose 1800 - 1945 5Sample Lesson Plan GCE English Literature: H071 F661 Poetry and Prose 1800-1945 129Other forms of Support 150

2 of 157 GCE English Literature

Introduction

Background

A new structure of assessment for A Level has been introduced, for first teaching from September 2008. Some of the changes include:

The introduction of stretch and challenge (including the new A* grade at A2) – to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to reach their full potential

The reduction or removal of coursework components for many qualifications – to lessen the volume of marking for teachers

A reduction in the number of units for many qualifications – to lessen the amount of assessment for learners

Amendments to the content of specifications – to ensure that content is up-to-date and relevant.

OCR has produced an overview document, which summarises the changes to Gujarati. This can be found at www.ocr.org.uk, along with the new specification.

In order to help you plan effectively for the implementation of the new specification we have produced this Scheme of Work and sample Lesson Plans for Gujarati. These Support Materials are designed for guidance only and play a secondary role to the Specification.

Our Ethos

All our Support Materials were produced ‘by teachers for teachers’ in order to capture real life current teaching practices and they are based around OCR’s revised specifications. The aim is for the support materials to inspire teachers and facilitate different ideas and teaching practices.

Each Scheme of Work and set of sample Lesson Plans is provided in:

PDF format – for immediate use

Word format – so that you can use it as a foundation to build upon and amend the content to suit your teaching style and students’ needs.

The Scheme of Work and sample Lesson Plans provide examples of how to teach this unit and the teaching hours are suggestions only. Some or all of it may be applicable to your teaching.

The Specification is the document on which assessment is based and specifies what content and skills need to be covered in delivering the course. At all times, therefore, this Support Material booklet should be read in conjunction with the Specification. If clarification on a particular point is sought then that clarification should be found in the Specification itself.

GCE English Literature 3 of 157

http://www.ocr.org.uk/

A Guided Tour through the Scheme of Work


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GCE ENGLISH LITERATURE: H071 F661 POETRY AND PROSE 1800 - 1945SUGGESTED TEACHING TIME

40 HOURS TOPIC WILLIAM WORDSWORTH’S POETRY

TOPIC OUTLINE SUGGESTED TEACHING AND HOMEWORK ACTIVITIES SUGGESTED RESOURCES POINTS TO NOTE

Unit outline and poetic techniques

Class to be made aware of outline of AS units and assessment objectives.

Students to reinforce understanding of poetic devices. Could be presented as PowerPoint /OHT or as interactive 'bingo cards' or cut and stick matching terms to definitions activity.

Information on OHT or whiteboard. PowerPoint /OHT or bingo cards or cut and

stick cards.

This will help students focus later activities. Method may depend on ability of group or a

chance for differentiation. As a homework activity students could find examples of devices or make up their own examples.

Introduction to Romanticism

Video of 1st 2 episodes of Peter Ackroyd's 'The Romantics'. Students to take notes on key persons / events / attitudes (this could be split over sessions gradually building knowledge). If the Ackroyd video is not available, this presents an opportunity for independent Internet research where students could present and discuss their findings.

Peter Ackroyd 'The Romantics' (BBC). http://www.uh.edu/engines/romanticism/

websites.html http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/

nael/romantic/welcome.htm

Reinforcement of ideas on Romanticism

Discuss 'key characteristics of Romanticism' As a homework activity, students could be

asked to research another Romantic poet and find an example of one of their poems to present to the class.

D.Stevens, Romanticism, Cambridge Contexts in Literature, pp. 15-17.

Students should be given this as a handout and encouraged to refer to it throughout topic study.


http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/romantic/welcome.htm

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/romantic/welcome.htm

http://www.uh.edu/engines/romanticism/websites.html

http://www.uh.edu/engines/romanticism/websites.html


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Biographical information on Wordsworth

Pair up students. Give each pair one aspect of Wordsworth's life to research (using internet and library resources). Students to produce a presentation to be delivered to class building up a composite profile of Wordsworth's life.

Possible aspects for focus: biographical events, key works, social changes in Wordsworth's time, religious attitudes, relationship with Coleridge.

Attitudes expressed in 'Preface to Lyrical Ballads'

Teacher to choose key quotations from the 'Preface' for class to discuss, e.g. "incidents and situations from common life", "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings", "emotion recollected in tranquillity".

D.Stevens, Romanticism, pp.83-85 for extract on Preface to Lyrical Ballads.

http://people.stu.ca/~hunt/33360405/ revised/enlightn.htm

Good point at which to discuss 'Enlightenment' thought and how Romantics departed in thought and method from Neo-Classical poets. Students should return to these quotations as evidence of Wordsworth's intentions - are they fulfilled?

'Animal Tranquillity' and 'Old Man Travelling'

Read 'Animal Tranquillity'. Consider the role of nature, what reader learns from 'He' of the poem. What evidence is there of man in harmony / contrast to nature? Students to annotate poem and choose key words / images.

Read 'Old Man Travelling'. How is the meaning affected by the voice of the old man? Discuss tone of old man's voice and poet's message. Reflect 'Animal Tranquillity'. Is attitude of voice in 'Old Man Travelling'

Copies of the poems. http://www.bartleby.com/145/

wordchrono.html All Wordsworth's poems can be found on

this site. Focus points could be placed on

PowerPoint or OHT.

Homework task could be to write up coherent notes on the poems for revision purposes. This will need to be done for all poems at some point.

Could explore Wordsworth's statement: "Feeling gives meaning to action and situation rather than action and situation giving meaning to feeling."


http://www.bartleby.com/145/wordchrono.html

http://www.bartleby.com/145/wordchrono.html

http://people.stu.ca/~hunt/33360405/revised/enlightn.htm



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explained here? How do rhythm and metre mimic the old man's journey?

'Simon Lee, the Old Huntsman'

Read Wordsworth's introduction to the poem: 'with an incident in which he was concerned' and discuss The Enclosures Act (1,765,711 acres of common land enclosed between 1700 and 1844). Whole class read poem. Divide class into pairs or small groups and allocate one stanza each. Use AO2 criteria for analysis. Feedback to focus on young/old Simon.

Individual answer: How has Simon's life changed? How is sympathy created for Simon? How has his life got smaller (with age and enclosures)? Is this the tale of one man or might Simon be representative of common man in rural society? What is the effect of 1st person voice and direct address to reader?

http://www.stjohns-chs.org/english/ Romantic/Rm-Ws.html for introductory information and information on 'Preface to Lyrical Ballads'.

Copies of poem. Questions on OHT/ Whiteboard.

Discuss how 'Simon Lee' deals with Wordsworth's ideas of the human mind (emotions, imagination, and memory).

Group should note common themes found so far:o natureo rural lifeo experienceo age and youtho loss and grief

'Anecdote for Fathers’ Focus points: contrasts Kilve and Liswyn Farm, characters of child and father, role reversal of characters, significance of child's reply.

When groups gather ideas together they

Copies of poem. Focus points on OHT/whiteboard.


http://www.stjohns-chs.org/english/Romantic/Rm-Ws.html%20

http://www.stjohns-chs.org/english/Romantic/Rm-Ws.html%20


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should consider the Latin epigraph: "Shewing how the practice of lying may be taught".



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'Expostulation and Reply' and 'The Tables Turned'

Students to draw spider diagrams indicating all views associated with Enlightenment / Romanticism.

Whole class debate: Split the group to debate the merits and shortcomings of each view. Then half to put forward the argument for Enlightenment, other half to put forward argument for Romanticism.

Discuss 'Expostulation and Reply'. How is Matthew representative of Enlightenment thoughts? (Key language and imagery). What is the substance of William's reply? How is this typically Romantic? (1st person, senses and feeling).

D.Stevens, Romanticism, pp.49-52 for Romantic attitudes to nature.

http://people.stu.ca/~hunt/33360405/ revised/enlightn.htm

Copies of poem.

Summing up of debate should lead to the idea that Romantics did not disagree with reason but believed it should be united with feeling.

Homework preparation for work on poems: make notes from ‘Romantic attitudes to nature’ (Stevens’ book).

'Expostulation and Reply' and 'The Tables Turned'

Pair up students to annotate 'The Tables Turned'. How is this more impassioned and descriptive than 'Expostulation...'? What are we to learn if "nature be your teacher"? Students should choose 5 quotations that use forceful language to argue the case for nature, then contrast how reason is presented in a negative light. Students should consider different interpretations of nature, e.g. mother nature, human nature.

Copies of poem. Students may reflect on god-like descriptions of nature or ideas from 'Preface to Lyrical Ballads'.

In choosing quotations, students may pick up on poetic devices: "meddling", "mis-shapes", "murder" put together have an alliterative, memorable feel.





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Consolidation so far Students to draw together all themes so far. This should show clear progression from 'points to note' on 'Simon Lee'. Students should volunteer to write themes on board.

Students should be encouraged to comment on common metrical and rhyme patterns.

Sample exam response Give blank copy of 'Simon Lee'. Individual response: 'In what ways does this poem deal with the theme of man's relationship to the natural world?' Remind students of assessment objectives before they start.

Copies of 'Simon Lee'. Take in responses for formal assessment.

Critical reading Split class in half giving each group one chapter of Eaglestone book (either chapter 4 or 7).

Each group to produce a presentation of main points and a handout for the class. Groups will need time to read material, decide on main points and allocate jobs to group members, e.g. produce presentation, present work, produce handout, group coordinator.

R. Eaglestone, Doing English, Routledge, pp.37-44 (Chapter 4) and pp.75-86 (Chapter 7).

This information could be used for both sections of this unit.

Students could be asked to apply theories to Wordsworth's poems.



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Consolidation of critical reading

Consider theory of authorial intention in light of personal nature of Wordsworth's poetry. Reflect on quotations to 'Preface to Lyrical Ballads', if these represent Wordsworth's intentions, do poems suggest he was successful?

Key quotations from 'Preface' on OHT/whiteboard as previously.

Students need to be given ample time to write up notes for revision purposes.

'The Fountain' Small groups to analyse poem, individual students to be allocated a focus: language (imagery and contrasts), structure, form, (bold font for criteria of AO2) poet's message / attitude to society's oppression, links to other poems, symbolic value of 'fountain'. Students could be given sheet of A3 paper to draw together ideas. Creative idea would be to draw up ideas in shape of a fountain (may help make ideas memorable).

A3 paper. Focus points on OHT/whiteboard.

Independent investigation: 'The Lucy Poems'

Students to research the group of poems called 'The Lucy Poems'. Consider date and place of production.

Build up profile of Lucy. Students to engage with critical speculation on identity of Lucy (Annette Vallon, daughter Caroline, Mary Hutchinson, Dorothy Wordsworth, imaginary

Students may confuse poem 'Lucy Gray' in this group. Independent story to this poem as distinct 'Lucy' character should be outlined to avoid confusion.



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female as product of Wordsworth's imagination).



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'Strange fits of passion I have known'

Individuals to read and annotate poem using AO2 criteria. Students may note change in content, atmosphere, tempo from other poems and also ambiguity of word 'passion'.

Students should highlight key quotations that could generate class discussion.

Small groups should reflect on critical reading activity and evaluate how useful each approach is in reading 'Strange fits...', e.g. 'Lucy's cot' could imply bed or specifically child's bed.

Copies of poem. Notes from critical reading exercise.

If time is short, each group could be asked to evaluate one critical approach and present advantages and disadvantages to class.

Add deleted first and final stanzas. How does this affect meaning?

'The Solitary Reaper' (comparison with 'Strange fits of passion...')

Individuals to annotate 'Solitary Reaper' as done for 'Strange fits...' should note reaper is elevated figure in poet's imagination / creates idealised life for reaper (as unreal as dream in 'Strange fits...')

Pairs to draw up compare/contrast table of female characters, setting, tone, form, structure.

Individual work - give students 40 mins to write up notes into coherent essay with quotations as supporting evidence.

'There Was a Boy' Dramatic improvisation: in small groups Copies of poem.



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students to improvise a 'reading' of the poem paying close attention to how tone and intonation can be used to convey shades of meaning.

Groups to comment on how form and structure departs from previous poems. How does poem unite previous themes (specific instances to be given)?

'There Was a Boy' Discussion: does Wordsworth want the reader to feel sympathy/an emotional response to boy's death. Coleridge said if he had read this poem in the middle of a desert, he would have said 'Wordsworth'. Why?

Compare reaction to death with that of Lucy in 'Strange fits...'



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'Nutting' Students to individually read poem and write a summary of 'what happens' to consolidate events.

Pair up students to choose key images that suggest actions are violent/reaction of poet is exaggerated.

Class debate: use one student as hot-seated chairperson of debate. Critics have noted this poem contains implied sexual imagery. What evidence from the poem would support such a reading?

Copies of poem. Students should be encouraged to use poetic terminology with increasing sophistication and comments on structure should be encouraged.

Independent Investigation: The Industrial Revolution

Students to independently research the Industrial Revolution in England. Focus points: urbanisation (decline in agricultural living), conditions of working class/class divisions, social/economic factors, move from cottage to factory industries.

Ensure focus points are addressed for discussion or research findings can be assessed by a short, informal test or quiz.



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GCE ENGLISH LITERATURE: H071 F661 POETRY AND PROSE 1800 - 1945 SUGGESTED TEACHING TIME



Research feedback Research findings feedback and reading of Blake's 'London' as introduction to next poems.

Copies of 'London'. Students should note Wordsworth's more affluent upbringing compared to Blake.

‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge' and 'The world is too much with us'.

Read 'Composed upon Westminster Bridge' and explain circumstances (visiting Annette Vallon). Ask students to identify structure of the poem. Discussion: how does Wordsworth express his love of the city? Natural and man-made worlds co-existing in harmony. Evidence of "outpouring of feeling". How is Wordsworth's view fundamentally different from Blake's?

Pair up students to read 'The world is too much with us". Compare/contrast poem with 'Composed...' How do the poems work together to provide a commentary on material world and its effect on man. Students should question the sonnet structure of 'The world...' Pairs to link knowledge of Industrial Revolution to conclude which poem is most realistic/convincing.

Copies of poem. Students may note they came across this poem when looking at Formalist approaches in chapter 4 of 'Doing English'.

Assign extension: research Proteus and Triton. How does knowledge of these characters assist understanding of 'The world’...?



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'Elegiac Stanzas Suggested by a Picture of Peele Castle'

Discuss Wordsworth's eventual conservatism and disillusion with revolutionary ideals, failure of egalitarian utopia 'Pantisocracy'. After reading poem, discuss elegy on different levels - Beaufort, Wordsworth's brother, Wordsworth's blissful view of the world.

Paired research Burke's 'Philosophy of Beautiful and Sublime. Apply findings to 'Peele Castle' and contrast picture in Wordsworth's imagination.

Small groups draw flow diagram charting key changes in mood and tone using key quotations as evidence of change.

Copies of poem. Revise 'Composed upon Westminster Bridge' in light of stanza 8 of 'Peele Castle'.

'St.Paul's' Recap 'Composed...' and idealised view of city. Discuss 'St.Paul's' noting long build up to climatic revelation of 'temple' and idea of 'vision' (important to Romantics).

Small groups to analyse one aspect of the poem: mood/atmosphere, language, imagery, punctuation, poem as example of power of Romantic imagination.

Copies of poem. Compare 'St. Paul's' with nature of the sublime in 'Peele Castle'.



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Critical reception of Wordsworth's poetry

Small groups to allocate 1 person to conduct research into critical reception of Wordsworth, mixed responses to 'Lyrical Ballads', Byron's views (always interesting!), Wordsworth's view of Keats' work as 'pagan'. As researcher finds relevant information, this should be evaluated by the rest of the group. Which comments are fair/unfair? Students should be able to add their own views.

Consolidation of individual poems

Individually or in pairs, students to produce a presentation on one of set poems. The presentation should bring together all the main points, relevant contextual detail and be accompanied by a handout.

PC access for presentation and handout

Teacher to take 3 of the longer poems and produce each stanza of the poems on a separate card. Cards should then be jumbled up. Small groups to put the cards with the relevant title and in correct order.

Pre-prepared 'stanza cards' Students should not be allowed notes to help with this activity. Poems could be linked to theme of nature. Recap notes from Cambridge Literature in Context book.



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Themes in Wordsworth's poetry

Whole class draw up spider diagram of themes found in set poems. Pairs to then be given A3 paper and write each poem title around border to draw a mind map of how themes are connected between poems.

OHT/whiteboard. A3 paper.

Quote quest task In pairs, spend time re-reading poems highlighting key quotations. Students should then compile a ‘Top 10’ Wordsworth quotations list to present to class.

Students will need to bring their copies of the poems to this session.

Encourage 'versatile' quotations that could be used for different themes and purposes.

Encourage students to question each others choices. Presenters must defend their quotations.

Structure and form in Wordsworth's poetry

Recap poetic techniques (possibly using some quotes from 'quote quest' task). Discuss different forms found so far, sonnet, (lyrical) ballads etc. and metres trimeter, tetrameter, pentameter. Remind students of 'Preface' statement "language of ordinary men" and how Romantics used traditional poetic forms, but did not stick to them slavishly.

Small groups to review the set poems for evidence of structural techniques.



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Romantics quiz Give students a list of statements containing relevant comments on key characteristics of Romanticism and also some irrelevant statements. Students should successfully sort the relevant from the irrelevant statements.

List of statements. Some students may elaborate on how some statements are directly relevant to Wordsworth's poetry.

How to structure a response

Teacher to form a question in the style of F661 (use SAMs question as guidance). Recap the assessment objectives. Discuss response: planning, focus on question, avoid working through set poem in linear fashion, ensure bullet points are covered. Get students to write up the opening to a response to set question ensuring AO’s are met.

Students should mark their own work indicating where AO’s are covered. Class to evaluate and consider features of best responses.

Question formed by teacher. Possibly choose a poem with which students seem unsure to help stretch understanding.

Marking could be done by swapping work.



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Consolidation (SAMs question)

Individual completion of SAMs question on 'Nutting'. Take work in for formal assessment. Remind students of assessment objectives before start of test.

SAM’s question paper (closed text exam). This session could take place at any point after work on individual poems is complete to allow time for formal assessment before the exam.



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40 HOURS TOPIC WILFRED OWEN’S POETRY


Unit outline and poetic techniques

Class to be made aware of outline of AS units and assessment objectives.

Students to reinforce understanding of poetic devices. Could be presented as PowerPoint/OHT or as interactive 'bingo cards' or cut and stick matching terms to definitions activity.

Information on OHT or whiteboard. PowerPoint/OHT or bingo cards or cut and

stick cards.

Aural imagery and pararhyme should be given emphasis.

Method may depend on ability of group or a chance for differentiation. As a homework activity students could find examples of devices or make up their own examples.

Introduction Class debate on war - discuss student views on following issues: Is war ever right? Personal qualities needed to fight? Loyalty and patriotism. Fear of death. Killing under command as opposed to Christian values ('Thou shalt not kill').

This could be done as a hot-seating task with selected students to put forward their views and be questioned by the class.

Background to First World War

Key information on the war should be put on OHT/ PowerPoint from which students take notes.

In pairs research 'experiences of war'.

OHT/PowerPoint. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/

wwone/ http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/

greatretreat.htm

Websites have diary accounts and letters home from soldiers.


http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/greatretreat.htm

http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/greatretreat.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/


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Background to Wilfred Owen

Split class for independent research on one aspect of Owen's life: Early life, literary influences, religious attitudes, war (letters home), Siegfried Sassoon. Groups to present findings to class.

Internet research:o http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/

owena.htmlo http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk/jtap/ o http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/ o http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ltg/projects/

jtap/tutorials/intro/sassoon/

Literature of the First World War

Pair up students to read 'Fall In' and decide what persuasive techniques are used to encourage young men to recruit to the army.

This should then be compared to some of the 'real life' accounts found in the previous research tasks.

Copies of 'Fall In'. http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/jtap/

board/config.pl?noframes;read=2261

'Strange Meeting' Read and discuss 'The Target' (Ivor Gurney) as starter. Discussion should focus on soldier's feelings of guilt and confusion/anger.

Copies of 'The Target'. http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/show/30783-

Ivor-Gurney-The-Target

Students who have studied OCR GCSE English Literature may be familiar with poem.


http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/show/30783-Ivor-Gurney-The-Target

http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/show/30783-Ivor-Gurney-The-Target

http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/jtap/board/config.pl?noframes;read=2261

http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/jtap/board/config.pl?noframes;read=2261

http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ltg/projects/jtap/tutorials/intro/sassoon/

http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ltg/projects/jtap/tutorials/intro/sassoon/

http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/

http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk/jtap/%20

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owena.html

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owena.html


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'Strange Meeting' Pairs read over 'Strange Meeting' to grasp general meaning and pick examples of poetic techniques/effective language (paradox, pararhyme).

Teacher to add information on influence of Shelley's 'Revolt of Islam' - Owen's affinity with other poet.

Pairs to explore the persona of the "enemy" and how he explains himself. Students to choose most intriguing things he says and offer interpretations.

Class discuss how the 1st speaker feels at the end of the meeting and the effect of the final ellipsis.

Copies of 'Strange Meeting'. http://www.everypoet.com/Archive/Poetry/

Wilfred_Owen/wilfred_owen_contents.htm(all set Owen poems can be found on this website)

List poetic techniques on OHT/Whiteboard.

To encourage further reading: http://www.1914-18.co.uk/owen/

strangemeeting.htm

Critical reading Split class in half giving each group one chapter of Eaglestone book (either chapter 4 or 7)

Each group to produce a presentation of main points and a handout for the class. Groups will need time to read material, decide on main points and allocate jobs to group members, e.g. produce presentation, present work, produce handout, group

R. Eaglestone, Doing English, Routledge, pp.37-44 (Chapter 4) and pp.75-86 (Chapter 7)

This information could be used for both sections of this unit.

Students could be asked to apply theories to 'Strange Meeting'. Can historicist approach/evidence of authorial intention be avoided with Owen?


http://www.1914-18.co.uk/owen/strangemeeting.htm

http://www.1914-18.co.uk/owen/strangemeeting.htm

http://www.everypoet.com/Archive/Poetry/


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coordinator.

'Insensibility' Small groups to analyse one stanza each. Focus persona described and changes in tone/states of mind. Each group in turn to read out their stanza and present findings. Debate should be opened for others to add ideas.

Copies of 'Insensibility'. Historicist approach: How might each persona described represent those involved in the war?

'Apologia Pro Poemate Meo'

Read poem. Discuss why Owen feels he must apologise for the poem. Is the apology sincere? Introduce Shelley's ideas in 'Defence of Poetry'.

Pair up students to draw table of contrasting images using key quotations.

Small groups to pick out key poetic techniques - religious imagery, metre, rhyme, rhythm, structure.

Individual response - how does Owen use paradox to explain feelings towards war?

Copies of 'Apologia Pro Poemate Meo'. A copy could be placed on

OHT/Whiteboard for group to highlight key techniques.

Students could be asked to comment on the 'you' in the final stanza.



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'Anthem for Doomed Youth' and 'Arms and the Boy'

Read 'Two Sides of War' (Grantland Rice) or 'Of the Great White War'. Recap attitudes of young boys going to war/underage conscripts. Link images of glory in 'Apologia...’

Small groups read 'Anthem...' and look at structure of question and answer. Half of group to find evidence of harsh sounds of battlefield in aural imagery of stanza 1. Other half explores sombre/funereal tone/words associated with death in stanza 2.

Reproduce poem on A3 paper. Pair up students to sketch images suggested by each line culminating in pictorial re-telling of story.

http://illyria.com/poetry.html for 'Two Sides of War'

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/ Olympus/7160/quong18.html for 'Of the Great White War'

Copies of 'Anthem for Doomed Youth'.

At intervals students need to be given opportunity to write up notes for revision purposes.

'Anthem for Doomed Youth' and 'Arms and the Boy'

Pairs read 'Arms and the Boy'. Devise ways in which this poem could be linked to 'Anthem...' Contrast images of kindness and corruption of innocence. Harmful objects of nature and man-made objects.

Copies of poems. More able students should comment on how poetic techniques and structure reinforce meaning.


http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7160/quong18.html%20

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7160/quong18.html%20

http://illyria.com/poetry.html


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'The Exposure' Group to discuss what the title could mean. Split group to present one aspect of the

poem: content, effective language, visual imagery, aural imagery, structure, rhyme/pararhyme and rhythm. Feedback should include focus on who is the enemy and treatment of death.

Individual response - How does Owen use language to explore the harsh reality of war? Remind students of relevant AO’s and get them to mark on their work where these have been met. Class discuss 'best' responses.

Copies of 'Exposure'. Could use soldier's accounts found for research as starter.

Could take in individual responses for formal assessment.

'The Show' Read poem and discuss significance of title. In small groups give students time to work on the poem independently (using A02 criteria). Encourage students to link poems by recurring themes and images.

Copies of 'The Show'. Students should be confident enough at this point to carry out a student-led analysis.

Feedback will depend on strength of students' initial analysis.

'Dulce et Decorum est' Small groups discuss words "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori." How can this statement be true? False?

Copies of 'Dulce et Decorum est'. Copies of 'Who's for the Game?’. http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/show/52141-

Jessie-Pope-Who-s-for-the-Game-


http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/show/52141-Jessie-Pope-Who-s-for-the-Game-

http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/show/52141-Jessie-Pope-Who-s-for-the-Game-


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Class read 'Who's for the Game?' and discuss Jessie Pope's involvement in war propaganda and dedication of Dulce...'

Devise a worksheet that focuses on key points of language, form and structure for individual completion. Questions should become progressively harder encouraging links with other poems.

Worksheet (to be devised by teacher).

Consolidation of work so far

Peer assessment - Pair up students. Individuals to devise a quiz for each other based on Wilfred Owen and events of First World War. Timed completion.

Students should be encouraged to complete quiz answers quickly, but accurately.

Consolidation of work so far: sample response

Teacher to devise question (using SAMs question as template). Use a poem studied some time earlier, such as 'Strange Meeting'. Recap relevant AO’s before individual completion.

This should encourage students to form links between poems and consolidate work done at beginning of unit.

Discussion of how to form effective response may be needed.



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'Futility' Class discuss how in poems already studied Owen has commented on futility of war. Brainstorm words associated with 'sun'. Read poem - what is meant by 'futility' here? Consider role of "kind old sun" and word "fatuous".

Copies of ‘Futility'.

'Futility' and 'The Last Laugh'

Read 'The Last Laugh' and discuss how soldiers' dying cries are 'futile'. Discuss form of poem. Put copy of poem on OHT/whiteboard and get volunteers to pick out onomatopoeic words and write one associated word next to choice.

Discuss how weapons are shown to get 'the last laugh' and how images in 1st and 2nd lines of each stanza are linked.

Copies of 'The Last Laugh'. In preparation for next lesson, students should research sentry duty in the war and look up unfamiliar words in the poem 'The Sentry'.

'The Sentry' Independent research into life in the trenches'. Read 'The Sentry' and evaluate how realistic Owen's account is. Pick out key images that help the reader visualise the scene and appeal to the senses (e.g. onomatopoeia).



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'Disabled' Small groups to analyse and annotate poem by assigning roles to each member of the group: soldier's life before injury, soldier's life after injury, reasons for joining up, illusion and reality of war, what hurts soldier the most - physical or emotional injury, words associated with age and youth. Assign group coordinators to join all ideas together on A3 paper.

'Mental Cases' Class discuss some of images found on website. Discuss Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (only identified after 1st Gulf War) and Owen's experiences of shell shock. How do students think they would react to horrors of war? Brainstorm recurring horrific images in Owen's poetry - dreams, blindness, death.

Read 'Mental Cases' link 'Disabled' only emotional images. Discuss structure of questions in stanza 1. Put copy of poem on OHT highlighting key words of violence in stanzas 2 and 3. What picture is created of the men's state of mind? Students can add their own annotations of visual and aural imagery, colour, and sensory descriptions.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/ Some of the images are horrific, but should produce some good debate on the poem.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/


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Independent response Individual essay response to be taken in for marking: "The worst injuries of war are emotional not physical." With reference to 'Disabled' and 'Mental Cases', to what extent do you agree?

Encourage students to address AO2 in their responses.

'Miners' Students to independently research Halmerend Colliery disaster January 12th 1918.

Read poem (some may note homophonic miners/minors).

In pairs, students to analyse the visions the poet imagines in the fire and consider what links there are between a mining disaster and trench warfare. Students should also look at how the use of soft sounds creates a sad tone.

Copies of 'Miners'. Paired task could be split into different pairs looking at one particular focus point.

In a letter to his mother, Owen commented this poem started out as being about the mining disaster and ended up being about the war. What does this say about Owen's poetic intentions?

'A Terre' Introduce subtitle: 'Being the philosophy of many soldiers'. Students to individually read poem and write a short summary on what constitutes the soldier's philosophy.

Divide up the poem for pairs/small groups to analyse the various attitudes towards death, changing tone and mood, how a sense of the

Copies of 'A Terre'. Key words indicating changes in tone could be written on OHT/whiteboard.



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soldier speaking is created. Class discussion: Does the poem seem

sadder in light of knowledge of Owen's death?

Consolidation of individual poems.

Individually or in pairs, students to produce a presentation on one of set poems. The presentation should bring together all the main points, relevant contextual detail and be accompanied by a handout.

PC access for presentation and handout.

WW1 quiz Give students a list of statements containing relevant comments on key events in WW1 and also some irrelevant statements. Students should successfully sort the relevant from the irrelevant statements.

List of statements.

Themes in Owen's poetry Whole class draw up spider diagram of themes found in set poems. Pairs to then be given A3 paper and write each poem title around border to draw a mind map of how themes are connected between poems.

OHT/whiteboard. A3 paper.

Students could be asked to recall very specific instances in individual poems.



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Wilfred Owen poetry montage

Small groups to design a montage of images suggested by the poems they have studied. Students could use specific quotations to label each image.

A3 paper.

Poems - Cloze exercise Give out blank copies of selected poems with key words from each line missing. Without using any notes students to insert the correct missing word.

Prepared copies of poems with word blanks.

To differentiate this exercise, a range of possible words could be given from which students may select correct word.

Consolidation of individual poems

Teacher to take 3 of the longer poems and produce each stanza of the poems on a separate card. Cards should then be jumbled up. Small groups to put the cards with the relevant title and in correct order.

Pre-prepared 'stanza cards'.

Revision of common poetic techniques

Students to re-read set poems and collect evidence of the most common poetic techniques used by Owen.

Students will need to bring their copies of the poems to this lesson.

Challenge activity: do the uses of techniques have anything in common, e.g. linked by a similar theme?



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Quote quest In pairs, spend time re-reading poems highlighting key quotations. Students should then compile ‘Top 10’ Owen quotations to present to class.


Encourage 'versatile' quotations that could be used for different themes and purposes.

Encourage students to question each others choices. Presenters must defend their quotations.

Structure and form Recap poetic techniques (possibly using some quotes from 'quote quest' task). Students should be aware of regular and irregular metrical patterns and to occasional usage of internal rhyme as well as pararhyme. Small groups to review the set poems for evidence of structural techniques noting carefully how structure can affect meaning.


This may present a challenging task to some students. Differentiation could be by carefully choosing which students to place in which group and using very able students as group coordinators.

Applying critical reading Give time for students to recap critical reading work. Choose one Owen poem. Pair up students to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of an approach in providing a satisfactory reading of the poem.

Critical reading notes. If time is short, each group could be asked to evaluate one critical approach and present advantages and disadvantages to class.



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How to structure a response

Teacher to form a question in the style of F661 (use SAMs question as guidance). Recap the assessment objectives. Discuss response: planning, focus on question, avoid working through set poem in linear fashion, and ensure bullet points are covered. Get students to write up the opening to a response to set question ensuring AO’s are met.

Students should mark their own work indicating where AO’s are covered. Class to evaluate and consider features of best responses.

Question formed by teacher. Possibly choose a poem with which students seem unsure to help stretch understanding.

Marking could be done by swapping work.

Consolidation (SAMs question)

Individual completion of SAMs question on 'The Show'. Take work in for formal assessment. Remind students of assessment objectives before start of test.

SAMs question paper (closed text exam). This session could take place at any point after work on individual poems is complete to allow time for formal assessment before the exam.



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GCE ENGLISH LITERATURE: H071 F661 POETRY AND PROSE 1800 - 1945Suggested teaching time 50 hours Topic Austen: Pride and Prejudice

Topic outline Suggested teaching and homework activities Suggested resources Points to note

Pride and Prejudice IntroductionChapter 1

General discussion of preconceptions (prejudices?) and what students already know of the novel and author.

Famous first sentence. Read Chapter 1 aloud. Note what we learn about

the parents. Homework: read Chapter 2 – 6 before next

lesson.

As far as resources are concerned, in the end the only real resource is the text of Pride and Prejudice and all secondary resources are just that. Before quickly rushing to other resources for support, students must be encouraged always to trust in the first instance their own reactions to the prime text and to explore that text for justification for their reactions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Austen http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/

janeinfo.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/

austen_jane.shtml http://www.austen.com http://www.online-literature.com/austen For a clear definition of irony, see A-Z of

English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001)

Importance of knowing the text well. Important as it is to get to know the text

well, as studies progress stress must be laid upon the application of an understanding of the text to the A0s, especially the ways writers present characters, issues and so forth (AO2) and the context within which they present them (AO4)

The first sentence is a classic example of the kind of irony for which Austen is justly famous


http://www.online-literature.com/austen

http://www.austen.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/austen_jane.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/austen_jane.shtml

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/janeinfo.html

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/janeinfo.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Austen


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Chapter 2 - 7 Individual or pairs of students take characters to describe, noting how they are differentiated.

Read chapter 7 aloud. The entail. The importance of marriage. The presence of soldiers in the area. The irony of the effect of Mrs Bennet’s cunning

proposal. Homework: read Chapter 8 – 12.

The chronology of Austen’s time, found in Penguin Classics, for example, to explain war with France.

One or two students to research further and present to class.

Small instances of irony have been seen already. It becomes more important as the novel progresses.

Students might use ICT for presentation.

Notes should not be too long.

Chapter 8 - 14 Recap reading, especially relationships between four main characters.

Read Chapter 13 and 14 aloud. Look closely at Mr Collins’ letter. How do Mr and Mrs Bennet, Jane and Elizabeth

react to it – and how does the reader? Does the reality match the expectations?

Homework: read chapter 15 -18.

Notes on each chapter should reflect class discussion, rather than summarise the novel.

Chapter 15 - 18 Students contribute to list of adjectives and phrases for Mr Collins.

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ ppdrmtis.html#WilliamCollins


http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#WilliamCollins

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#WilliamCollins


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Chapter 16 is important, containing much information which will affect the plot later.

Chapter 17 – compare different readers’ reactions to Wickham with those of Jane and Elizabeth.

Homework: look again at Chapter 18. Make two lists of the instances which might suggest pride and prejudice.

Chapter 18 - 19 Share list with someone else to see points of (dis)agreement.

Recall list of words for Mr Collins and read Chapter 19 aloud.

How much – and how – does it make you laugh?

Discussion of the nature of humour Differentiate between satire and irony How much – and in what ways– are you led to

feel sympathy for Elizabeth? Homework; Read chapter 20 – 23.

For a definitions of see A-Z of English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001)

Preferably work with someone different from usual.

Keep AO2 firmly in mind while considering this.



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Chapter 20 - 23 Recall the reading. Why does Charlotte accept the proposal? What coincidences have been noticed in the

novel so far? Do we find them believable? (Small population, narrow range of acquaintance, limited by class and by difficulty of travel.)

Homework: read chapter 24 -27.

www.ukonline.co.uk for population, etc. Jane Austen's World: The Life and Times of

England's Most Popular Author by Maggie Lane.

Jane Austen and Representations of Regency England by Roger Sale.

Chapter 24 - 27 Recall chapter 24 and select three quotations which typify Mrs Bennet, Jane and Elizabeth at this point.

Mrs Gardiner: evidence that she is more sensible than her sister-in-law. Is she always sensible?

Chapter 27 reminds us of the importance in most Chapter 18/19 eyes, of marrying for money. It also gives us a hint of something to happen in the summer.

Homework: Chapter 28 – 31

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ ppdrmtis.html#MrsBennet

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ ppdrmtis.html#Jane

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ ppdrmtis.html#Elizabeth

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ ppdrmtis.html#MrsGardiner

http://www.victorianweb.org

Each student should start a collection of quotations. Keep them short and memorable.


http://www.victorianweb.org/

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#MrsGardiner

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#MrsGardiner

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#Elizabeth

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#Elizabeth

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#Jane

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#Jane

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#MrsBennet

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#MrsBennet

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t734580403~db=all

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t734580403~db=all

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?_encoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books-uk&field-author=Maggie%20Lane

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?_encoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books-uk&field-author=Maggie%20Lane

http://www.ukonline.co.uk/


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Chapter 28 - 32 Quick recap of homework. Does Lady Catherine match up to our expectations from what we have learned from other characters?

Read chapter 32 aloud. It seems to be a turning point. Why? What does Charlotte think? What is the meaning of the last sentence?

Homework Read chapter 33 - 35.

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ ppdrmtis.html#LadyCatherineDeBourgh

Chapter 33 - 35 As a class, make a list of words which could describe Lizzie’s emotions in ch 33-34. Then draw a graph with the page numbers along the horizontal and 1-10 along the vertical. In a different colour, on a scale of 1-10, draw the varying intensity of Lizzie’s emotions during the two chapters.

Recall the content of Darcy’s letter. Discuss: why does he write a letter, rather than

talking to Elizabeth? Letters are important in this novel, and in others.

Look at Wentworth’s letter in Persuasion and consider whether he may have had similar reasons for writing – even though Anne was in the

Persuasion chapter 23 ‘Your feelings may be the strongest’ to the end of Wentworth’s letter. (They have been discussing a friend who has fallen in love again after the death of his wife).

In Jane Austen’s time letter-writing to friends and acquaintances was in general a much more formal business than today (A04).


http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#LadyCatherineDeBourgh

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#LadyCatherineDeBourgh


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room at the time. Homework: chapter 36 – 41.

Chapter 36 - 41 Recap Elizabeth’s thought processes through chapter 36, which is unusual in having no dialogue.

Chapter 39 returns us to the young Bennets and Lydia’s ‘coarseness of expression’ (but notice that Elizabeth shares some of her feelings).Mrs Bennet’s coarseness is apparent in chapter 40, but also Jane’s much gentler and patient nature.

In chapter 40, Elizabeth sees her family partly through Darcy’s eyes, and is more critical than ever, and in chapter 41 we see how his letter has informed her view of Wickham

Chapter 41: Read aloud from ‘As for Elizabeth herself’ to ‘no part of her disposition.’ and consider what the writer is suggesting. Is there any sense of foreboding?

Homework: Chapter 42 – 45.

Find out about the epistolary novel, which had become popular during the C18th with the works of Samuel Richardson and others (A03)

See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistolary_novel

Note the way in which Austen presents Elizabeth’s thoughts (A02).


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistolary_novel


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Chapter 42 – 46 Recap the visit to Derbyshire – what explains the coincidence here? Notice that a happy ending seems in sight.

Read chapter 46 aloud. Homework: chapter 47 – 50.

How is a sense of an impending happy ending created (A02)?

It is important to understand just how shocking Lydia’s behaviour was at that time. (AO4)

Chapter 47 – 51 Discuss and make careful notes on the actions and reactions of Mr Bennet, Mr Gardiner and Mrs Bennet as this drama unfolds.

Read chapter 51 aloud. It reinforces the shame and shock felt by ‘such as did think’ and Lydia’s shamelessness.

Homework: chapter 52 and 53 Make notes on Wickham's character.

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ ppdrmtis.html#GeorgeWickham

Whenever work is done on characters, focus should be on their role and significance within the fabric of the story so far – emphasize that this exercise is not a mere character study

Chapter 52 - 53 Look at the last three paragraphs of Chapter 52. Would you expect Elizabeth to be so ‘good-humoured’? Discuss the answer fully.

Can you explain Darcy’s behaviour in chapter 53? Work on Chapter 54 and 55 in pairs, tracing the

events and the changes in mood. Note especially Mr and Mrs Bennet’s actions and speeches.

Homework: Read to the end of the novel.


http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#GeorgeWickham

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#GeorgeWickham


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Topic outline Suggested teaching and homework activities Suggested resources Points to noteChapter 56 -61 Read aloud the scene from The Importance of Being

Earnest. Compare it with a dramatic reading of chapter 56. Homework: make notes on attitudes to and about the

upper classes in this novel.

Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest Act 1 from ‘You can take a seat Mr Worthing’ until ‘Lady Bracknell sweeps out in majestic indignation’.

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pride/ themes.html

http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/ monkeynotes/pmPride10.asp

http://www.helium.com/tm/749230/before- second-world-european

Chapter 57 – 61 Brief discussion of notes on upper class characters Chapter 57: look at Mr Bennet’s reaction to Mr Collins’s

letter. What do we learn about Mr Bennet here? Compare this with his reaction to Elizabeth’s

engagement in chapter 59.Link to AO3 connections and comparisons.After this, the novel comes to a rapid conclusion. Do you find this satisfactory. Discuss significance of endings.

Homework: consider whether any situations are left unresolved.

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ ppdrmtis.html#MrBennet

Film and television versions often end with a big wedding scene.


http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#MrBennet

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html#MrBennet

http://www.helium.com/tm/749230/before-second-world-european

http://www.helium.com/tm/749230/before-second-world-european

http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmPride10.asp

http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmPride10.asp

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pride/themes.html

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pride/themes.html


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Topic outline Suggested teaching and homework activities Suggested resources Points to note Discussion of homework, novel as a whole and

whether it fitted preconceptions. Why has it retained popularity despite our changed values and conventions? (Why did Helen Fielding call her hero ‘Mark Darcy’?)

Homework: Find two examples to illustrate the importance of marriage for women in C18th and be prepare to share them.

Students who have read Bridget Jones’s Diary can explain for those who have not.

Teachers might choose to spend two or three lessons here on one of the film or TV versions. (See revision at end of SOW)

Values and views on marriage

‘In Pride and Prejudice, all values are presented as subservient to marriage.’ How far, and in what ways, do you consider this to be the case?

Discussion of essay title, based on homework research.

Examples where it is not a concern. Examples where it is also a major concern for the

men. See the opening of Chapter 50. Homework: essay title above.

http://www.channel4.com/history/ microsites/R/regencyhouse/history/smp.html


http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/R/regencyhouse/history/smp.html

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/R/regencyhouse/history/smp.html


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Focus on assessment objectives

The Assessment Objectives for this paper. Economic situation of families like the Austens and

the Lucases. The much greater income of Darcy, for instance. This should be linked to AO4 -context.

The poverty at the time of the servant class – even ‘poor’ families had servants. Look at the Price family.

Feedback on essay on marriage: content. Feedback on communication and presentation AO1. Homework if necessary to make sure of the spelling

of names and places.

‘Mansfield Park’ Vol 3 Chapter 7 (Fanny Price had been sent to live with the Bertrams at nine, because of her family’s poverty. Her first return is a shock to her and gives the reader an idea of the wide gaps between classes at the time). Link to AO’s

http://www.helium.com/tm/735306/extreme- class-consciousness-austens

What is already known about AO’s will depend on when this text comes in the year’s plan.

Spelling of names seems a minor point, but there are many pitfalls (‘Bennet’ for instance) and students should recognise the effect careless spelling has on readers.

Free indirect style If appropriate, a quick spelling test on names. Start to look at how Jane Austen writes. ‘Free

indirect style’, eg last two paragraphs of Chapter 4. Adds information and comedy. Pairs or groups to find and present examples. Homework: Find a short extract from anywhere in

the novel which you find comic and prepare to present it.

David Lodge Consciousness and the Novel p45 - 6

The Norton Critical Edition is useful. For more on narrative voice, see A-Z of

English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001)

See also The Oxford Companion to English Literature, ed. Margaret Drabble (Oxford University Press, 2000)

Jane Austen was one of the first writers in English to use free indirect style, which blends the third person and first person narrative in such a way that the reader becomes identified with one of the characters, and the distinction between an objective narrative voice and that of the character becomes blurred. This often gives rise to irony, a gap between what seems to be said and what is actually conveyed.

Comedy in the novel Individual presentations discussed. Notes on various ways comedy is produced. (AO2)

This may well take two hours.


http://www.helium.com/tm/735306/extreme-class-consciousness-austens


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Is the comedy unkind? Sometimes? Always? Notice that Elizabeth is present in almost every

scene, rather as if she were the narrator.

Timed essay plan ‘Elizabeth Bowen – a twentieth century novelist – writes of the youthfulness of the humour in Pride and Prejudice. How far is this comment helpful to your reading of the novel?’

Discuss this essay title and make some notes. Homework: Construct a brief essay plan.

A brief look at costume might be interesting here, e.g.

www.janeausten.co.uk/magazine (from the Jane Austen Centre in Bath).

First (or False) Impressions was written before Austen was twenty-one, but refused by publishers in 1797. She revised it and it was immediately popular in 1813.

One problem with this essay may be the over-abundance of material. Teacher might need to talk about selecting material.

Timed essay Write the essay, timed for 50 minutes, using the plan.

The function of letters in the novel

Notice how many letters there are. Many early novels were epistolary. Method still used occasionally. Discuss limitations of writing a whole story in letters. Examine Mr Collins’ letter in chapter 48 Homework: as pairs or individuals, choose a letter to

read and show its main function. Some might instead research an epistolary

Samuel Richardson: Pamela (1740) Alice Walker: The Color Purple (1982)


http://www.janeausten.co.uk/magazine


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novel instead.

Feedback on timed essay Focus in particular on how well the opening

paragraph sets up the essay. Examiners are impressed if candidates clearly set out their stall at the beginning and the reader can see exactly where they are going.

Some of the presentations from last lesson’s homework

Some of Jane Austen’s own letters.

There are many editions of Austen’s Letters. Good examples:

Family news 8 Nov 1800 On bereavement: 15 Oct 1808 (to her

sister)

More presentations. List the functions of letters the class has identified. Homework: Take two letters from different

characters and make notes on how the style reflects the writer. Link to (AO2).

Write up notes as an essay in 50 minutes, without consulting the text.

Feedback on essay. Link this to AOs. Compare with each other to look at different letters. Also compare to look at how problems – eg time

constraints - can be solved. Homework: Look back closely at Chapter 18.

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ ppdrmtis.html


http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppdrmtis.html


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Comparing the characters of the five Bennet girls

Using chapter 18 as a starting point, compare the characters of the five Bennet girls.

Homework: prepare a talk on one other character.

For the homework, agree choice, so that there is a variety for next lesson.

Begin talks. Class to question each speaker, especially on how

the evidence is obtained.

Critical viewpoint; E.M. Forster

Continue talks and questions, making brief notes. Homework: Essay: E.M. Forster said that Austen’s

characters are rarely completely ‘flat’. Have these talks led you to agree with him? Use three or four minor characters to illustrate your response

E.M. Forster: Aspects of the Novel in the chapter on People. He cites Charlotte Lucas as one who is ‘modulated into the round’.

For definitions of various kinds of comedy, see A-Z of English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001)

Importance of notes being succinct and clear for easy revision. They should be seen as triggers for recalling knowledge already internalised.

Chapter 19 Look closely at Chapter 19. In what ways does Austen create comedy here? (AO2)

Does she evoke any other feeling in the reader? Have views changed since first reading this?

Feedback on Essay. Again share views on different characters and

different ways of presenting answers. Homework: research definitions of satire link to

relevant AO and find examples in literature,



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television, etc.

Satire Discuss definitions and examples of satire. Purpose of satire?

When is it cruel? Funny? Both? Find examples in the novel and answer the same

questions. Homework: essay plan: Elizabeth says, ‘I hope I

never ridicule what is wise or good.’ How far is this true of Jane Austen herself in this novel?

Timed essay.

‘A satirist more astringent than delicate’, DW Harding, Scrutiny 1940

Swift’s A Modest Proposal or Gulliver’s Travels make a good contrast here.

Definitions of irony Feedback on essay. Definitions of irony. How does it relate to comedy

and satire? Look at first sentence. Homework: Find three other short, clear examples. Share examples. Students to choose one or two to add to list of

quotations.

For definitions: Dictionary of Literature in English: King and King and many other reference books

List of quotations should not grow so long as to be daunting, and individual quotations should be kept brief. It should be individually chosen.

Film and television versions of the book

Three hours on one of film versions pauses to discuss changes in plot or omissions; appropriateness of character portrayal; settings, costumes;

Films: 1995 BBC version is available. 2005 film is also now available on DVD. Students with an interest in drama

might contribute ideas about how

Students will also have seen older films on television which may feed into discussion.



= ICT opportunity



appropriateness of language. they would direct a production.



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Essay practice Essay practice: ‘Jane Austen makes you feel that you are in the next room to the speakers and can overhear them.’

Do you agree with this? Find examples to explain your answer.

(From an anonymous critic in 1866.)

Do you think the critic is undervaluing ‘Pride and Prejudice’? Again, illustrate your points.

Pride and Prejudice: Revision

Write the essay without consulting the text, timing carefully.

Feedback on essay. Share experience with another student. Time to ask questions about essays in general.

http://shanethmeg31153.tripod.com/id1.html is useful for A02

Revision quiz Light-hearted Quiz: Each student to write three organisation and

explanation questions on slips of paper. Questions collected and jumbled to ask of whole

class. Brief supplementary comments and questions should

be encouraged.

Try for questions on different aspects – fact, character, style, context, quotation.

Students must know where to find references for the answers to their questions!


http://shanethmeg31153.tripod.com/id1.html%20is%20useful%20for%20A02

http://shanethmeg31153.tripod.com/id1.html%20is%20useful%20for%20A02


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Complete the Quiz. Final warning against relying too uncritically on

websites. Know your way around the text: The teacher

conceals the text from the class and starts reading at a random point. The first student to identify the page number scores a point. Repeat for as long as desired.

Aim should be to highlight gaps for each student but to be encouraging, stressing how much is known.

Austen has so many admirers who are not always impartial judges.

(One site is called ‘Austen Effusions’.)

Hot-seating: students in turn take on the role of different characters, and are questioned by the others (re their reactions to one or more episodes in the novel). At the end questioners comment on how far, and in what ways, the role-player was true to how the character would think & feel



= ICT opportunity

GCE ENGLISH LITERATURE: H071 F661 POETRY AND PROSE 1800 - 1945Suggested teaching time 50 hours Topic Hardy: Tess of the d’Urbervilles


Initial reading TessPhase the First: The Maiden

Class discussion: what do students already know, if anything? Any preconceptions?

Dramatic reading of Chapter 1 (narrator, ‘the man’, the parson, ‘the lad’).

What do we learn from this? (class, location, humour).

Is there any indication of what might happen in the future?

Homework: research Hardy’s life and writing.

Many editions have a brief biography. www.britainexpress.com/History/hardy.htm Claire Tomalin: Thomas Hardy The Time-Torn

Man (Viking 2006)is for the able and interested student, but biography must not get in the way of reading and understanding the text for itself.

Important as it is to get to know the text well, as studies progress stress must be laid upon the application of an understanding of the text to the A0s, especially the ways writers present characters, issues and so forth (AO2) and the context within which they present them (AO4)

Students may start writing notes straightaway. They should reflect the discussions, rather than summarise the plot.

Some might like to start a section for each main character.

Report back research. Teacher to talk about notes – brief, clear, as

an aid to memory, not a substitute for it. Read chapter 2 aloud, noting the named

characters and the way traditions are changing.

Homework: read chapter 3 and 4.

Tess published, much altered, in Graphic magazine, 1891, causing shock and disapproval.

Essential to start taking notes now, paying special regard to the requirements of AOs 2 and 4. Make a habit of succinct, clear notes. Remember that if too much is written then the notes will be indigestible when reviewed at revision time. On each chapter there should be:

A brief synopsis of events and a note of likely significant features


http://www.britainexpress.com/History/hardy.htm


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A note of any queries and/or points to raise in forthcoming class discussion, at which point the notes should be added to or modified in the light of the opinions of others

Recap reading. Note the last sentence of Chapter 4: perhaps

a quotation worth learning. Do we blame Tess? Read chapter 5 aloud. What is a haggler? The beginning of Alec’s seduction of Tess. Hardy’s overt warning of impending disaster. Homework: Chapter 6 – 9.

Most editions have a glossary of dialect words. If the class edition does not, it would be good to have one available for general use.

Students’ collections of quotations should mainly be individual rather than shared by whole class. Should be short and memorable.



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Discuss the reading: Tess’s first ‘prefigurative superstition’ – the

thorn. Notes on Alec and Mrs d’Urberville.

Read chapter 10 and note Tess’s changing reactions to Alec’s appearances.

Homework: chapter 11.

Whenever work is done on characters, focus should be on their role and significance within the fabric of the story so far – emphasize that this exercise is not a mere character study.

Recap reading: students need to be aware of the attitude to rape in Chapter 19. Tess would be disgraced in the eyes of respectable people. Divide into two groups: one to look back at Phase 1 for all the references to Fate.

The other to find all the ‘red’ imagery. Start to share the former.

http://victorianweb.org http://www.guardian.co.uk/gender/story/

0,,2184280,00.html – for contextual information re the history of attitudes towards rape.

For a clear definition of imagery see A-Z of English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001).

In chapter 11, students should note how tactfully Hardy suggests what happens, but convention prevents his being more forthright. Even so, the novel was rejected by several ‘respectable’ publishers.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/gender/story/0,,2184280,00.html


http://victorianweb.org/


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Tess: Phase the Second: Maiden No More

Gather together the red images. Consider uses of red elsewhere, e.g. danger

signals, ‘scarlet woman’, The Scarlet Letter. Students will supply other examples.

Some may know Far from the Madding Crowd and be able to talk of Hardy’s use of red imagery there.

Read chapter 12 to the point where Alec ‘was gone’.

Share views on Alec and on Tess’s sense of honour here.

Homework: make sure notes are up to date on novel so far.

The Scarlet Letter: Nathaniel Hawthorne 1850. One or two students to research The Scarlet

Letter and report back. Far from the Madding Crowd (1873) is full of red

images so if time is available, students could watch the film, where flashes of red are tellingly used. (1967. DVD 2004)

What is the effect of the ‘red’ imagery?

Students report back on the two other novels. Read the meeting with the text-writer aloud. Note red paint, the contrast between the

harsh texts and the man’s cheerfulness and the mention of Angel again.

Finish the chapter.

The Ten Commandments: Exodus Chapter 20 v 2 -17.

A working (not detailed) knowledge of these background novels is sufficient

Consider some ways in which Hardy presents Tess’ mother



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Write notes on the relationship between Tess and her mother.

Homework: read chapter 13.

Give out copies of The Ruin’d Maid. Read aloud, as a dialogue, twice. Debate how close the ‘maid’s’ situation is to

Tess’s, and what attitudes are shown in each text.

How much comedy is there in the poem? What comedy has there been in Tess so far? Start reading Chapter 14 silently and

complete for homework.

Hardy: The Ruin’d Maid Note the tone of The Ruin’d Maid. How far is it a contrast to the way Tess’s situation of portrayed?

Students should be encouraged to note the incidental comedy in many scenes in the novel – as in life.

Tess Phase 2 Continued

Importance of Chapter 14 The baby, sorrow. Explore the presentation of work in the fields

and Tess’s relationship with other workers. His christening, death and burial. The attitudes of the vicar, Jack Durbeyfield

and Tess’s siblings.

Hardy was an agnostic at this time.

Tess Phase the Second continued

‘As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; They kill us for their sport’

Students may know or wish to find out more about King Lear.

Hardy quotes Lear in his own Preface to the fifth edition.



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How far are other human beings responsible for Tess’s predicament?

How far is she herself responsible? What events suggest that Fate – ‘the gods’ –

are ‘playing’ with Tess? Essay title: Hardy says that the Immortals

play with Tess’s life. In your reading up to the end of Chapter 14, how far do you agree that Tess is a victim of Fate?

Homework: Write this essay. Preparation for essay: Take three sheets of

paper, and write the following headings on them respectively

Others’ responsibility. Tess’s responsibility.

Find out about characteristic Greek tragedy, where the

gods/Fates are usually responsible for the protagonist’s downfall

characteristic Shakespearean tragedy, where the usually the protagonist, with contribution from others, is responsible for his (and occasionally her) own downfall

Google-search under ‘Aristotle’s Poetics’ and ‘theories of fate’ for more background to notions of the part played by fate in human tragedy.

It is important that students understand that they can express their own opinions in essays, as in class. However, they should be able to support these opinions using the text.

For any essay title you are set, after initial preparation, write a complete answer to the title in 5 minutes. Then read it through and see how good you consider it as an opening paragraph to a full essay, clearly setting out for the reader the direction of your main argument.



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Fate. In pairs or trios, write notes on each sheet of

paper, trading ideas. See which page has most notes. Then, on your own, use these notes as a basis for writing the opening paragraph of your essay, which should be a good overall answer omitting details. Then, when you are satisfied with the opening, use the notes to continue the essay.

Read Chapter 15 aloud. Discuss the changes in Tess and how it is a

fitting end to a ‘Phase’. Draw an outline map of Hardy’s Wessex and

put in names of places so far mentioned. Keep the map updated as new places

are mentioned.

Almost all editions have Hardy’s map at the beginning.

Location is always important to Hardy. As you read and discuss, consider some

ways in which Hardy creates a sense of place



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Tess : Phase the Third; The Rally

Feed back on the essay. Focus in particular on how well the opening

paragraph sets up the essay. Examiners are impressed if candidates clearly set out their stall at the beginning and the reader can see exactly where they are going.

Read chapter 16 aloud. Note the fertile landscape. Note Tess’s happiness in her chant of the

Benedicite. Look at Tess’s attitude to religion here and at

Hardy’s own. Homework: Read Chapter 17. Review Chapter 17 – Tess’s new life. Dairyman Crick Read The Oxen. Her third ‘meeting’ with Angel Clare and what

we learn about him. Read Chapter 18 together, using the notes, to

learn more about Clare, his beliefs and why he is there.

Note how he first takes notice of Tess. (He thinks her ‘virginal’, and Crick addresses her as ‘maidy’, reminding the reader of Tess’s thoughts in Chapter 15.)

Find out what you can about the pastoral tradition in English literature. How much seems to be a true representation of the countryside, and how much an idealised one?

Benedicite in the Morning Service in the Book of Common Prayer.

The Oxen by Thomas Hardy – a short poem, a valuable addition to the study of Chapter 17.

This is a good point to remind students of the importance of knowing the text really well.



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Homework: read chapter 19 – 21.

Recap homework: Angel Clare, the dairy, the other girls.

Read chapter 22 aloud and note the development of the relationship between Tess and Clare.

Look closely at the final paragraph. Read chapter 23 and 24 aloud. Weather and landscape. Find out what ‘pathetic fallacy’ means. Vanity – view on church-going (and notice

that Tess hasn’t been to church since she arrived.) But they can all quote and understand scripture and the prayer book

Comedy in phrase and action. Hardy as intrusive narrator in his parenthesis

– reminds us that this is fiction. Lack of jealousy; note how much kindness

Tess has met since she arrived at Talbothays. Note her ‘unworthiness’. Then the weather and the practicalities of

milking, before the ‘veil had been whisked away’.

The term was coined by the 19th century art critic John Ruskin in Modern Painters, iii, ch12). Compare with Hardy’s The Return of the Native where Eustacia Vye feels that nature is against her on Edgon Heath. Or the beginning of Act III of Shakespeare’s King Lear where Lear, battered by the storm, directly addresses the elements.

Dickens is also intrusive in many of his stories, for instance in Bleak House where he directly attacks the Victorian establishment’s responsibility for the death of the fictional crossing sweeper, Joe.

For more on narrative voice, see A-Z of English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001).

Note the parallel between Tess and Retty Priddle.

Consider the means through which Hardy develops their relationship.

Chapter 23 and 24 illustrate a number of points crucial to the novel, so they repay the extra time spent on them.

In the 19th century almost all children received Christian religious education in Sunday schools.



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Homework: Revise Phase 3, checking notes are up to date.

Introduce the idea of naturalism. In three groups, look at the landscapes,

animals and weather in each Phase so far. One student from each group report back to

the class. Talk briefly about the AOs. Homework: Write an essay plan: How far and

in what ways do the settings in Tess Phases 1 – 3 reflect changes in Tess’s life and character?

Naturalism mainly developed by Zola (French novels) and Ibsen (Norwegian plays) towards the end of the 19th century, where non-idealised existences of lower and middle class people were seen as worthy subjects of serious literature. See also the earlier 19th century poetry of Wordsworth and other Romantics who saw nature and human beauty as fundamental

‘The use of realistic settings and characters to convey philosophical truths’ King and King: Dictionary of Literature in English.

Write the essay in class in about 50 minutes.

Tess Phase the Fourth The Consequence

Brief discussion of the title The Consequence: is it foreboding?

Read chapter 25. Narrator’s direct description of Clare.

The mixture of emotions at the dairy and their effect on the reader when Clare first leaves. His family, and Mercy Chant.

The religious background, from which Clare has broken away, but notice that it is not cruel in its strictness. Notice the incident of the

Research religious attitudes in the nineteenth. See, for instance, the writings of Matthew Arnold, George Eliot, Keble, Cardinal Newman, Trollope

http://victorianweb.org/religion Women and Marriage in Victorian Fiction by Jenni

Calder (Oxford, 1976) Look again at the map. http://victorianweb.org/religion


http://victorianweb.org/religion

http://victorianweb.org/religion


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black pudding and the mead. Read Chapter 26, making notes on the

attitudes to marriage and on Mr Clare’s meeting with Alec d’Urberville. Coincidence? It is a small area, and a clergyman would move around it. Homework: read chapter 27 – 29.

Tess Phase 4 Continued

Feedback on the essay written in class. Discussion of common problems, perhaps

sharing each other’s essays to see how others dealt with difficulties.

If necessary, look at spelling of names and places. If this is a common problem, set learning as part of homework.

Recap chapter 27 – 29. What is the effect of ‘he saw the red interior of her mouth as if it had been a snake’s’?

Clare’s proposal and Tess’s response. The irony that no-one knows her story when

there is so much gossip about local affairs. The ‘two strands' of Tess’s life.

Spelling seems a minor aspect of the work, but students should recognise how much misspelling irritates some readers.



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The use of the word ‘drifting’ about Tess.What is the effect on Tess of the second story about Jack.

Dollop? Homework: read chapter 30 – 32.

Quick spelling test if necessary. Students divide into two groups to discuss

and produce evidence about Tess’s and Angel’s inconsistencies. Present to the class.

Recap chapter 30 - 32 the rain, and Tess’s sense of ill omen in their previous meeting, and later in not having the banns read.

Her mother’s advice. Homework: write notes on the style and

content of Mrs Durbeyfield’s letter.

Discuss letter. Mrs Durbeyfield is genuinely ‘affectionate’, but is she right?

Tess’s language more ‘modern’ and educated than her mother’s.

Local superstition about cocks crowing in the afternoon, based on Mark 14 vv 29 -31 and vv66 – 72.



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Read chapter 33 aloud, noting all the ill omens Tess notices.

Read chapter 34 aloud. Students forecast the outcome of her

confession. Begin reading chapter 35 and finish for

homework.

Phase the Fifth; The Woman Pays

‘One rule for men, another for women’: how far is Angel’s reaction typical of the time? Notice Hardy’s title for the Phase.

Students debate how far they ‘blame’ Tess for the situation and how far it is Angel’s failing.

What do students think now will happen as a result?

http://www.fashion-era.com/a_womans_place.htm http://www.victorianweb.org/gender/index.html

Homework: Students choose two or three names, of major or minor characters, and decide whether they have any special significance.

barronsbooknotes.com/cgi- bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=189&t=000046 - 58k –


http://www.victorianweb.org/gender/index.html

http://www.fashion-era.com/a_womans_place.htm


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Students share their discoveries about the names in the novel.

Some may be able to make comparisons with Dickens’s names.

Only a few are comic – Jack Dollop? Some are the result of the family’s religion,

perhaps. (Angel? But look at his brother’s names.)

Homework Read Chapter 36.

‘Names’ also acts as revision – recalling events.

Re cap Chapter 36. Note how setting again reflects mood (‘pathetic fallacy’).

Read chapter 37 aloud. (Remember Clare had had a bad dream before.)

Look at the free indirect speech as she wonders what he will do at the river.

The whole episode may remind some students of gothic novels, but the sensible way Tess deals with it keeps it realistic.

The return to Talbothays – and Mrs Crick’s perceptiveness.

The sad finality of the end of the chapter – but the effect of the last line on the reader.

‘A 19th century term for ascribing human qualities to nature.’ See King and King Dictionary of Literature in English. (Also for ‘gothic novel’).


For more on gothic novels see A-Z of English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001).

Some students might expand on ‘gothic’.



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Read chapter 38. Tess’s dignity. Or is it pride? Her parents’ failure to understand. Read chapter 39. Draw up two tables of two columns each.

In the first table, note all the parallels between chapter 38 and 39. In the second, note all the differences. Continue this for homework.

Students compare tables, adding or altering as they think fit.

Read chapter 40 if time. The dialogue between Angel and Izz can be read dramatically to help understanding of the changing situation.

It might be possible to produce whole class versions of these tables.



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Tess Phase the Fifth continued

Complete chapter 40. Careful notes on Clare at this stage in the story. Chapter 41 Tess, later in the year. Money: her careful husbandry and her parents’

recklessness. Link to AO4 context. Homework: complete chapter 41.

Notes on ‘the well-to-do boor’; The pheasants Tess’s view (Hardy’s, too?) of pheasant shooting. Read chapter 42 aloud. Compare ‘What a mommet of a maid’ with ‘Why,

you be quite a posy!’ in chapter 6. Flintcomb-Ash and Marian. Homework: read chapter 43, 44.

Beware of ‘intention fallacy’, where a reader assumes that the opinions of a character are those of the writer. There must be good evidence for thinking so.

Recap Homework: harsh landscape; weather; the flint artefacts; meeting former acquaintances,

Tess’s courage, and her disappointment in Clare. Read chapter 44, noting all the apparent

coincidences, and finish for homework.



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Phase the Sixth The Convert

Read chapter 45. Notice Hardy’s use of free indirect style as Tess first meets Alec again.

The dialogue can be read dramatically. Note Tess’s reactions to Alec’s reformation.

‘Old Mr Clare’, might seem a coincidence, but the population is small, and the plot remains in a narrow geographical area. It increases Tess’s sense that ‘fate’ is involved.

Another ill omen, and Izz Huett. Homework: Read chapter 46 and note the

reversal of roles between Tess and Alec.

www.ukonline.co.uk for population, etc http://victorianweb.org http://www.guardian.co.uk/gender/story/



By what means does Hardy create Tess’s sense of Fate?

Quick recap of homework. Reminder of the period – the Industrial

Revolution, with farms becoming mechanised. Read chapter 47 aloud. Hardy’s description at the beginning - is it his

opinion of the machinery or the girls’? The concentration required and the noise affect

the action here, as well as affecting Tess physically.

Izz and Marian still care about Tess.

A Preface to Hardy: Merryn Williams (Longman 1976, Preface Books, Second Edition 2000) is useful here, and has some apposite illustrations.



Hardy’s World http;//public.gettysburg.edu/academics/English/hardy is good on the land, agriculture, etc.


The rapid change in Alec, which Tess had forecast.








http://www.ukonline.co.uk/


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Homework: students to write a short speech about Alec in this chapter, making their own reactions clear.

Divide into groups and give speeches. One scribe to note how much agreement there is.

Report back to whole class. Read chapter 48 aloud and forecast the result of

Tess’s letter. Homework: read chapter 49.

Recap: the Vicarage, Rio and Liza-Lu’s arrival. (Rio the farthest by far this novel reaches, but Lu’s journey was also ‘long’.)

Read chapter 50 aloud. Location again important - and the distances people walked then.

Strongly visual description of the bonfire scene broken by shock of Alec’s appearance.

Second shock – Durbeyfield’s death - and its financial effect.

Homework: read chapter 51, 52.





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Recap. Notice how by coming home, Tess seems to have done the wrong thing for the right reason again.

Alec’s threatening tone, and Marian and Izz’srecognition of danger.

In pairs, draw up two columns and list all the times when Tess seems to be to blame for what happens, and all the times ‘fate’ has intervened against her.

Homework: read chapter 53 – 55.

Find out about;characteristic Greek tragedy, where the gods/Fates are usually responsible for the protagonist’s downfall

characteristic Shakespearean tragedy, where the usually the protagonist, with contribution from others, is responsible for his (and occasionally her) own downfall

This will act as revision before the last Phase. Students will not agree in every instance, and should be encouraged to defend their views.

Phase the Seventh: Fulfilment

Recap: Clare’s homecoming; His journey to Flintcomb-Ash and Marlott; Durbeyfield’s grave; Mrs Durbeyfield’s embarrassment; Sandbourne. Read chapter 56 aloud, hearing through the ears

of Mrs Brooks, who has to move away from the door, so we do not know at first all that has happened.

The drama of the red stain and the discovery of Alec’s body.

Note how Hardy creates suspense here. (It also gives Tess time to get away).


Even so late in the novel, Hardy changes his method of narration.



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Homework: read to the end.

Tess Phase 7 continued

Recap the ending of the novel. Discussion of how much was expected; What students think wrong; what they think

inevitable. Definitions of tragedy. Is Tess a tragic heroine? Students to look back at their notes in two

columns on ‘fate’ and ‘blame’.

See Dictionary of Literature in English. For more on tragedy, see A-Z of English

Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001). See also

Aristotle’s theory of tragedy in his Poetics or at http://www.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/poetics.html

Originally a term from drama, but many see it applying here, too.

Plan an essay: ‘Many readers regard Tess as a tragic heroine.’ How far do you agree?

Need to make definitions clear. Need to select material to avoid having too much

to write. Share plans with another student, to see if they

are clear, not to challenge judgements. Homework: write the essay, timing carefully. 50

minutes maximum.

http://public.gettysburg.edu/~sflynn/teaching/ Tess1.html, www.amazon.com/review/R2CE725IDMXLBN - 112

http://www.lycos.com/info/tess-of-the- durbervilles--thomas-hardy.html

http://dwell-in-possibility.blogspot.com/ 2007/01/tess-of-durbervilles-by-thomas-hardy.html

Tess of the d’Urbervilles Revision

Watch and comment on a film version of Tess. Students should note the importance of

recognising changes in the plot and especially changes in tone, mood, context, attitude.

This will probably need three lessons.

Two are available on DVD: Polanski 1979 Tess and an ITV version Tess

of the d’Urbervilles1998. The latter is regarded as more factually accurate.

See Prof Jane Marcus in New Casebooks Tess of the d’Urbervilles

Students with an interest in drama or film studies might give a presentation on how they would direct a film of the novel.


http://dwell-in-possibility.blogspot.com/2007/01/tess-of-durbervilles-by-thomas-hardy.html



http://www.lycos.com/info/tess-of-the-durbervilles--thomas-hardy.html

http://www.lycos.com/info/tess-of-the-durbervilles--thomas-hardy.html

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2CE725IDMXLBN%20-%20112

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2CE725IDMXLBN%20-%20112

http://public.gettysburg.edu/~sflynn/teaching/Tess1.html

http://public.gettysburg.edu/~sflynn/teaching/Tess1.html

http://www.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/poetics.html

http://www.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/poetics.html


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(1993) for a Marxist Feminist view of Polanski’s Tess.

Feedback on ‘tragedy’ essay. Students to be reminded of the Assessment

Objectives for this paper. Students to suggest in what ways the Context in

which Tess was written are particularly important. Homework: make notes on how contemporary

attitudes to one of the following are evident in Tess: religion; class; sex; the position of women.


0,,2184280,00.html – for contextual information re the history of attitudes towards rape


As revision starts, students may need reminding that the text is still the most important thing to know.

Four groups to pool their findings Homework: ‘Throughout Tess of the D’Urbervilles women are

presented as badly treated by men.’ How far, and in what ways, do you agree with this view?

‘The weakness of the plot of Tess of the D’Urbervilles is that it relies too much on chance and coincidence.’ How far, and in what ways, do you agree with this view?

‘The locations in Tess of the D’Urbervilles are an integral part of the development of the plot’. How far, and in what ways, do you consider this to be the case?

On moral issues: www.literature-study-online.com/essays/

hardy.html http://victorianweb.org

http://www.guardian.co.uk/gender/story/ 0,,2184280,00.html – for contextual information re the history of attitudes towards rape





http://www.literature-study-online.com/essays/hardy.html

http://www.literature-study-online.com/essays/hardy.html






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Students have already done some work on comedy. In pairs, find good examples of comic incidents, comic dialogue and the author’s humorous asides. Find some examples where the comedy is mixed with sadness.

Pick half a dozen apt, brief quotations. Present to the class.

In what ways, and with what effects, does Hardy present lighter moments, or comedy mixed with sadness?

Feedback on the essays. Students may like to share, especially as there was

a choice. The novel is often labelled as ‘pessimistic’. What do

students understand by this? Do they agree? If so, are there any grounds for

hope as well? Does the subtitle ‘A Pure Woman’ have any

relevance here? ‘Unseen’ essay: Hardy wrote ‘Pain has been and

pain is.’ How far do you see this as the main idea in Tess?

http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/ tess/about.html

The teacher may find another title better fits the class’s needs at this time.


http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/tess/about.html

http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/tess/about.html


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Feedback on essay. Look at the question of class in the novel. The

idea of the d’Urbervilles, and its effect on Jack Durbeyfield.

Tess’s view, at the beginning, and later. Alec, and the ‘false’ d’Urbervilles. Angel Clare’s inconsistent views. Views of ordinary people – why does Clare sit

separately at meal times? Class to determine what they think are Hardy’s

views. Choose a passage of about one side and write a

critical analysis of the way that ideas, events, characters and so forth are presented (AO2), going on to relate this to the novel as a whole


0,,2184280,00.html – for contextual information re the history of attitudes towards rape

Hardy’s Politics in A Preface to Hardy: Merryn Williams.

Link to AOs particularly AO4 Beware of ‘intention fallacy’, where a

reader assumes that the opinions of a character are those of the writer. There must be good evidence for thinking so.

Tess Revision Students to write three ‘quiz’ questions on slips of paper.

Try for different kinds – plot, character, quotation, etc.

Teacher to jumble the slips and begin a quiz, ensuring that everyone offers some answers.

Homework: revise any gaps the quiz has uncovered so far.

Consider anything that needs clarifying before

Students must know where to find the references to justify their answers!

The mood should be reasonably light-hearted, stressing rather what students know than what they don’t.






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the examination.

Complete the quiz. Time in this lesson and the next for students to

ask questions, have points clarified, individually or as a class – often they will have similar concerns –

and for the teacher to remind of problems that can be remedied before the exam, and of the abilities

(s)he has observed.

Know your way around the text: The teacher conceals the text from the class and starts reading at a random point. The first student to identify the page number scores a point. Repeat for as long as desired.

As far as resources are concerned, in the end the only real resource is the text of Tess of the Durbeyvilles and all secondary resources are just that. Before quickly rushing to other resources for support, students must be encouraged always to trust in the first instance their own reactions to the prime text and to explore that text for justification for their reactions.

This seemingly fun exercise will reveal if students know the text well enough to find with speed their way around the text. If they are floundering then they have more re-reading to do

Further possible test essay titles: ‘Hardy’s presentation of Angel Clare is more

convincing than that of Alec D’Urberville.’ How far, and in what ways, would you agree?

According to Hardy, Tess suffers from ‘the cruelty of lust and the fragility of love’. In what ways, and



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how successfully, do you consider that Hardy presents these notions in Tess of the D’Urbervilles?

Hot-seating: students in turn take on the role of different characters, and are questioned by the others re their reactions to one or more episodes in the novel. At the end questioners comment on how far, and in what ways, the role-player was true to how the character would think and feel.



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GCE English literature: H071 F661 Poetry and Prose 1800 - 1945SUGGESTED TEACHING TIME

50 HOURS TOPIC FITZGERALD: THE GREAT GATSBY


The Great Gatsby: introducing and getting to know the text

Students to say what they know already of this novel – if anything.

Many consider it ‘the Quintessential modern American novel’.

Teacher to introduce a little of the context: it looks relatively modern, so some of the 1920s attitudes may be disconcerting.

Also, briefly, the idea of the sometimes unreliable narrator, which will be important later. (AO2)

As far as resources are concerned, in the end the only real resource is the text of The Great Gatsby and all secondary resources are just that. Before quickly rushing to other resources for support, students must be encouraged always to trust in the first instance their own reactions to the prime text and to explore that text for justification for their reactions

‘At times Gatsby may stick in your throat’ – Tony Tanner in the Introduction to the Penguin edition.

http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/3844/ See the Introduction to Wordsworth Classics edition. http:// www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/

SCHOOLS/WJHS/mediactr/socstupathfinder/worwar/index.html

http://www.lhup.edu/jwilson3/Newslettter_ 35.2.htm

http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/subjects/ sose/depression.html


As they read, students will need to decide how much of the racist language, for instance, reflects the times, and how much belongs to the characters using it. (It is most noticeable early in the novel).


http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/subjects/

http://www.lhup.edu/jwilson3/Newslettter_

http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/3844/


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http://www.chenowith.k12.or.us/tech/subject/ social/depression.html – a comprehensive resource on US society between the wars with many links

For more on narrative voice, see A-Z of English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001)

Chapter 1Setting the context

Begin reading Chapter 1 aloud. (Note that ‘East’ to an American means the coastal area mainly north of New York.)

Note what we learn of Nick’s family, the date – 1922 – and the area (which is real, but Fitzgerald has added details like the two Eggs).

Homework: find out brief details of Fitzgerald’s biography and what was happening in the USA at this period.

Share facts found for homework. Finish the chapter. It works well to read the

dialogue dramatically. There should be pauses in the early stages to

investigate exact meanings, not always overt –

http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/biography/html http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/fsfitzg.htm

Students may begin making notes. These should be brief, and concentrate on points from discussion, rather than the plot – i.e. not a substitute for knowing the text.

Essential to start taking notes now, paying especial regard to the requirements of AOs 2 and 4. Make a habit of succinct, clear notes. Remember that if too much is written then the notes will be indigestible when reviewed at revision time. On each chapter there should be:o a brief synopsis of events and a

note of likely significant featureso a note of any queries and/or points

to raise in forthcoming class discussion, at with point the notes should be:

e.g. ‘to see two old friends whom I scarcely added to or modified in the light of


http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/fsfitzg.htm

http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/biography/html

http://www.chenowith.k12.or.us/tech/subject/


= ICT opportunity




knew’ and sometimes perhaps humorous: ‘I suppose she talks, and – eats, and everything’ which is followed so closely by Daisy’s confession

Homework: brief notes on each character met so far.

Notes on characters here, and as a grasp of the text becomes firmer, should comment on role and significance within the fabric of the novel as a whole (or the apparent role/significance so far)

the opinions of others

Chapter 2 Brief reminder of homework. Students might forecast some future for these characters, giving reasons.

Chapter 2 Read the first three paragraphs very carefully, noting the realism of the work the poorest citizens do, and the metaphors, too – the ash (the C19 and early C20 equivalent of land-fill). and the eyes.

Read on, finishing for homework if necessary. Is Buchanan’s violence unexpected?

Dickens’s Our Mutual Friend has the theme of money earned from Dust – the Mounds of it near the Thames –‘Coal-dust, vegetable dust, bone-dust, crockery dust, rough dust and sifted dust’. Keen readers might like to research this.

For a clear definition of metaphor, see A-Z of English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001)

Opinions, forecasts, etc, need to be supported from the text, but it should be clear that everyone’s ideas are acceptable and no-one is wrong provided that textual support is indeed given – otherwise opinions may or may not be OK

Recap Chapter 2. Drunken party Differences from the dinner in Chapter 1, but

both reveal tensions. Brief notes on the new characters



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And additional facts on ones met in Chapter 1.

Note on Nick as narrator: his eye for detail. Two dogs mentioned so far – is there any

parallel?

Chapter 3 Read Chapter 3 up to ‘The party has begun’. What impression is Nick giving us?

Read on – Gatsby has been watching Nick, too

The party. Its noise – even Nick ‘roared’. The library. Homework: complete the chapter.

Reading aloud helps students to notice the many ‘throwaway’ remarks: ‘I had taken - - champagne, and the scene had changed - - into something significant’.

First meeting with Gatsby

Recap: the first meeting with Gatsby; unreliable information about him.

The party disintegrating into dissension – again.

The car crash – a very visual scene: would it be comic in a film? And Jordan’s driving.

‘I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.’ In pairs, in 20 minutes, collect together all the facts we know about the

Students should begin to collect their own choice of quotations. (Lists of quotations are available, e.g. on www.revision-notes.co.uk of which they need to be wary: there are far too many, and it is often not clear why they are selected.)

narrator, All the opinions students have formed so far

and two or three quotations which typify him. Report back to the class.


http://www.revision-notes.co.uk/


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Homework: write a short essay about Nick Carraway as a character and as the narrator.

Chapter 4 Begin reading Chapter 4 aloud. The list of names: some names seem to

signify characteristics Civet? Leech? Bunsen? Stonewall Jackson Abrams?

The implication is that reader knows about them – ‘three days before he went to the penitentiary’ – as if we were also friends of Nick.

Gatsby’s car. Gatsby’s confession. Students to notice

evidence that he is lying – and that he is convincing.

Feedback on the essay.

The notes in the Penguin and Wordsworth editions explain ‘fixing the World Series’. As with places, Fitzgerald mixes real events with his own fiction.

Students should realise that essays are rarely just character studies at this stage, so how Nick is used as narrator is important.



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Chapter 5 Read Chapter 5. Gatsby’s nervousness. The awkwardness, and its comic effect, can be heard if this is read as a play.

The rain ceasing and Gatsby’s happiness. His house. Is he showing off? Homework: revise the first five chapters

and make sure notes are up to date, clear and succinct.

One or two students could research Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth – a novel many in 1922 would have read, but now largely forgotten.

It’s not clear here what Gatsby means by ‘the drug business’. He and his friends in New York may well have sold illicit drugs. In 1926, Fitzgerald would not dare to write much about this. Daisy’s interpretation of ‘drug stores’ –completely legitimate – comes in Chapter 6 but their involvement in illicit alcohol is implied in Chapter 7.

Notes should be an aide memoire, not a detailed summary.

Chapter 6Understanding of context

Begin reading Chapter 6, some of the story of Gatsby before Nick met him – actually learned later, and apparently true. (English names were more highly regarded than others. Most film stars, for instance, had anglicised names.)

Teacher to remind students of, or introduce, the Assessment Objectives, here especially AO4, knowledge and understanding of the context of the 1920s.Important as it is to get to know the text well, as studies progress stress must be laid upon the application of an understanding of the text to the A0s,

especially the ways writers present



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characters, issues and so forth (AO2) and the context within which they present them (AO4)

The next party. Why is it ‘oppressive’,’ harsher than before’, ‘septic’?

Why isn’t Daisy having a good time? What does she fear, according to Nick?

The kiss five years before, and Gatsby’s fears.

Chapter 7Patters in the narrative

Read Chapter 7 to ‘whom she took to be his wife. Note the evocation of oppressive heat.

Jokey reference to the apparently criminal staff.

The two women lying on couch, as when Nick first met them – students should watch for recurring patterns like this.

‘Her voice is full of money’: students to suggest the implications of this.

The garage, and the Eyes again – they are imperfect eyes which need glasses.

In pairs, students look back at this chapter so far. Who exactly knows/does not know what? What ironies are apparent.

Report back to the class.

For a clear definition of irony, see A-Z of English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001)



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Homework: complete the chapter.

Chapter 7 continuedClarifying events

Recap this important chapter. The whisky (Prohibition) Yale and Oxford – can anyone be

believed? Hot-seating: one student takes the

role of Buchanan, students questioning him on his thoughts in the episode in the hotel room.

Do the same for Gatsby and Nick. ‘So we drove on toward death’: does this create suspense or reduce it?

Michaelis becomes ‘narrator’ for action Nick couldn’t know - and later Gatsby tells the story.

Students need to have these events very clear in their minds.

Nick’s attitude to all of them. Homework: read Chapter 8.

http://history1900s.about.com/od/1920s for Prohibition.

Chapter 8 Recap: Gatsby’s narration of events five years before Nick met him.

Nick’s reluctance to leave him. Why? Nick and Jordan. Michaelis’s kindness. The brevity of the narration of the two


http://history1900s.about.com/od/1920s


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deaths Begin reading Chapter 9 and complete for

Homework.

Chapter 9 Recap: Nick having to take charge. Gatsby’s ‘friends’. Hints of his fraudulent activities. His father. Klipspringer, Wolfshiem, Owl-eyes. Nick and Jordan Some general discussion of how students

feel about the novel, the story and the characters before getting down to close study.



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Continuing patterns in the narrative

Patterns: Students divide into groups or pairs to follow one element of the pattern through the novel, e.g. the valley of ashes; cars; drivers; crashes; dogs; Owl-eyes; eyes and sight; violent acts. (They may choose to follow other recurrent elements which they have noticed.)

Begin reporting back to the class. Homework: choose a colour or a flower

image and trace its use through the novel.

http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/ academic/ english/1project/99gg/99gg6 /colors.htm

Fitzgerald allows the narration to seem almost casual, as though Nick Carraway is telling the story in whatever way it comes back to him; once students start to trace the patterns, they will see how structured it is.

The Buchanans A close look at the Buchanans – ‘They were careless people, Tom and Daisy –‘

If possible, divide into eight groups/pairs to report on how they are developed in each chapter (the last two chapters can be taken together).

Report back to the whole class after half an hour.

http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic / english/1project/99gg/99gg6/flower.htm

www.enpferney.org/StudentSite/The%20Great %20Gatsby%20colour%20Elza%20 topic%2015% 20marked.doc http://reading.cornell.edu/reading_project _06/gatsby/ documents/Durkin.pdf

http://www.studyworld.com/studyworld_ studynotes/ great_gatsby/themes.htm

It is good for students to work with different people sometimes to find new ways of working and of looking at the text.

Revision of essay writing technique

Feedback on the essay. Some students will need more help than

others on the nuts and bolts – paragraphing, setting out quotations, the spelling of names and places – and most will need help in selecting material from such a rich text.


http://www.studyworld.com/studyworld_studynotes/great_gatsby/themes.htm

http://www.studyworld.com/studyworld_studynotes/great_gatsby/themes.htm

http://www.studyworld.com/studyworld_

http://reading.cornell.edu/reading_project_06/gatsby/documents/Durkin.pdf

http://reading.cornell.edu/reading_project_06/gatsby/documents/Durkin.pdf

http://reading.cornell.edu/reading_project

http://www.enpferney.org/StudentSite/The%20Great%20Gatsby%20colour%20Elza%20topic%2015%20marked.doc

http://www.enpferney.org/StudentSite/The%20Great

http://www.enpferney.org/StudentSite/The%20Great

http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/english/1project/99gg/99gg6/flower.htm

http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/english/1project/99gg/99gg6/flower.htm

http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic

http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/english/1project/99gg/99gg6/colors.htm

http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/


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Recap the work on the Buchanans. Timed essay: ‘By the end of The Great

Gatsby, Tom and Daisy Buchanan have learned nothing.’ How far do you agree with this statement?

The Great Gatsby: the whole text

Feedback on timed essay – how much have students learned about essay writing?

‘A novel for the 1920s’. (This will take two lessons) Some see it as the American novel of the 1920s. So need to know something about the 1920s.

The Great Gatsby Kathleen Parkinson (Penguin Critical Studies)

http://faculty.pittstate.edu/~knichols/

jazzage.html(good illustration)


_06/gatsby/jazz_age.htm(leads to wider study if required)

http://thepeoplehistory.com/1920s.html http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/america

/roaringtwenties.htm (Simple, factual, GCSE level)

“The Jazz Age” Fitzgerald coined the term ‘the Jazz Age’ for the period roughly 1918 -1929.

Research some of the influences on people’s behaviour then, in Europe as well as in USA.

Look back at research on Prohibition (but there is much drunkenness in the novel)

For parallels in England, see Shopping, Seduction and Mr Selfridge L Woodhead Profile Books 2007

http://www.geocities.com/athens/troy/4399 (on Prohibition.)

http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream thedream.html

In 1924, there were parties at Selfridge’s with ice-skating on the roof, and compacts for sale ‘for face powder or cocaine’.

Could be developed into a stretch and challenge activity


http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream%20thedream.html

http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream%20thedream.html

http://www.geocities.com/athens/troy/4399

http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/america/roaringtwenties.htm

http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/america

http://thepeoplehistory.com/1920s.html

http://reading.cornell.edu/reading_project_06/gatsby/jazz_age.htm


http://faculty.pittstate.edu/~knichols/jazzage.html


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Teacher to introduce a section of Eliot’s The Waste Land, written in 1922 – when the novel begins. Also concerned with the end of C19 certainties, urbanisation, meaningless relationships.

Homework: Research ‘the American Dream’

Also – for careful students, because they should notice errors – http://www.geocities.com/fidelio1st/literature/gatsby.html

The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea That Shaped a Nation by Jim Cullen

Facing Up to the American Dream: Race, Class, and the Soul of the Nation by Jennifer L Hochschild

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream/ thedream.html – this website contains some potentially useful links

http://www.americansc.org.uk/online /American_Dream.htm

“The American Dream” Briefly share research with one or two other students.

Look at Gatsby’s ‘schedule’ in the last chapter, and how proud his father is.

Discuss how far this is the American Dream, and in what ways Gatsby achieved it – in what ways he subverted it – and in what ways it failed him.

Methods of narration which have already been noticed during initial reading.

Keen readers may like to read Middle Age by Joyce Carol Oates, in which the C21st hero makes similar resolutions in poverty stricken youth and achieves great wealth, apparently by honest means.

Could be developed into a stretch and challenge activity

Methods of narration Looking back after two years ( see Chapter 9)

Story told ‘out of order’, so that we learn of Gatsby’s youth only very late on,

The Great Gatsby by K Parkinson (Penguin Critical Studies) has a chronology of the events before 1922 and when we learn about them.

Students looking back through the novel for evidence increases familiarity with the text.


http://www.americansc.org.uk/online/American_Dream.htm

http://www.americansc.org.uk/online

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream/thedream.html

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream/thedream.html

http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=103233641




http://www.geocities.com/fidelio1st/literature/gatsby.html


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for example. Independently, students to identify

incidents narrated by others, and why, and report back.

Homework: Research Nick’s initial and final attitudes to one of these characters: Tom, Daisy, Jordan.



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Briefly split into three groups to pool research.

Report back to class. Nick’s attitudes change: does that make

him ‘an unreliable narrator’? He says in Chapter 1 that he is ‘inclined to

reserve all judgements’.

http://www.geocities.com/andrew_dilling /essaynick.htm

http://www.people.vcu.edu/~bmangum /gatsby.htm

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote /The-Great-Gatsby.id-119,pageNum-44.html

Students may need reminding of the difference between the author and the narrator, that Nick is a character created by Fitzgerald.

Divide into seven groups (Chap 1, 2 and 3 can be taken together) and decide, with clear evidence, how far this is true of Nick’s account of Gatsby.

Report back. Homework: essay plan: ‘Nick Carraway is

too deeply involved in events and relationships to be a reliable narrator.’ How far and in what ways do you agree with this?

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/greatbooks-greatgatsby- this site has some useful teaching ideas and links

Timed essay Timed essay.

Looking at ‘Class’ in the novel

Feed back on essay - this title foregrounds AO2 – important in

this paper – but should demonstrate the other three AOs to some extent.

Move on to look at ‘class’ in the novel. Idea that Americans ignored class – hence

Nick’s own ‘class’ might be discussed. See his description of his family (and ‘draft-dodging’ great-uncle) in Chapter 1.

But also his father’s warning in the second paragraph of the novel.


http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/greatbooks-greatgatsby

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/greatbooks-greatgatsby

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/The-Great-Gatsby.id-119,pageNum-44.html

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote

http://www.people.vcu.edu/~bmangum/gatsby.htm

http://www.people.vcu.edu/~bmangum

http://www.geocities.com/andrew_dilling


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the possibility of the Dream – not entirely true. Suggest examples where criticism of, or even scorn for, lower class people is at least implied.

Re-read Chapter 3 ‘Myrtle’l be hurt if you don’t come up’ aloud.

Notice attitudes and speech which betray class.

Decide if anyone is being mocked.

Decide who shows the ‘decency’ that Nick said he valued. (Catherine? Recall her evidence at the inquest.)

Decide who behaves worst as they all become drunk. How does this relate to ‘class’?

Homework: write a summary of Nick’s changing mood and attitude to others through Chapter 2.

Gatsby and ‘class’. As class discusses, write brief notes with page references.

Lives on West Egg, ‘the less fashionable of the two’, but in an enormous mansion.

Mystery (to most) of where he comes from and where he gets his money.

What do we, and Tom, think of ‘old sport’?



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Oxford? What kinds of people take advantage of

his hospitality?

Look at Chapter 9. How many of these people care? (Owl-eyes?)

Gatsby’s ‘friends’ in New York.

Read Chapter 7 from ‘The young Greek’ aloud, noting in detail the behaviour of the different participants – for instance, the driver of ‘the other car’ stops.

Timed unseen essay Timed unseen essay: How far do you agree that The Great Gatsby is ‘a novel without compassion’?



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The Great Gatsby: examining the novel as a whole. Film version.

Feedback on essay. The value of having good, brief quotations

at one’s fingertips – adds weight to the argument and saves time.

Introduce the film. This will take three lessons, with pauses to note where it exactly mirrors the novel in facts or atmosphere –

And where it fails.

The Great Gatsby 1974 Francis Ford Coppola (Paramount) available on DVD 2007.

A US television version(2000) may become available in UK

The rare student at this age who finds memorising difficult can use close reference just as effectively.

Students’ opinions on the movie will vary, so debate should be encouraged (AO3)

Students to write a review of the film, as though it had just been released, in the style of a particular newspaper, magazine, or radio/television programme.

These could be made into a display, with illustrations.

The title: brief debate on its suitability. Research Trimalchio. What does this say

about the author’s opinion of Jay Gatsby?

See Notes in the Penguin Classics edition for Fitzgerald’s view.

See the introduction, and http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient /

petronius-satyricon-feast.html http://www.everything2.com/index.pl ? node=The%20Great%20Gatsby

Beware of ‘intention fallacy’, where a reader assumes that the opinions of a character are those of the writer. There must be good evidence for thinking so.The ‘quotation’ is from Fitzgerald’s fictional poet d’Invilliers, and is actually written by himself


http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=The%20Great%20Gatsby

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl


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The quotation in the epigraph: discuss why Fitzgerald used it.

Homework: Take one or two chapters and list all the references to clocks and time passing, noting which character is most involved.

Collect together the time references and images.

Students suggest reasons why time is so important to Gatsby.

Why is it so important to the novel? A period of great change – look back at work on the Jazz Age, etc.

A time of ‘heightened anxieties, a conviction of some fundamental split in the culture.’ (Peter Conn in Literature in America. Now out of print.)

A contemporary critic, Harold Stearns, regarded ‘business’ as one of the factors to blame for the ‘impoverishment of culture’.

The Great Gatsby: ways of revising

‘The greatest, gaudiest spree in history’ wrote Fitzgerald in 1920

Divide into five groups to research the Buchanan's house and garden; Gatsby’s house and garden in Chapters 1, 2 and 3; Chapter s 4 and 5; Chapters 6 and 7; Chapters 8 and 9.



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Pool results. What do the houses say about their owners? Is either house ‘trashy’?

Note Gatsby’s library. The surprise that the books are real – but their pages are uncut.

How much of what we learn is through Nick’s eyes, to the extent that we may feel it is a biased description?

Homework: Look at the two occasions when we are aware of Dr Eckleburg’s ‘eyes’ watching.

Until the 1930s, many books were sold with the pages uncut – they are printed on big sheets and folded in eight. This continued later in some countries: students may have seen older books with rather ragged edges from a blunt paper knife.

Homework: write a plan for a timed essay: Nick Carraway’s narrative shows him to be confused in his attitudes to Jay Gatsby.’ How far and in what ways do you agree with this judgement?

The teacher may wish to talk about different ways of planning essays – bullet points, spider diagrams, etc. which can be completed in no more than 10 minutes.

Write the essay in 50 minutes, without the text.

Opportunity to compare with other C20th novels

Feedback on essay If necessary, talk about use of quotations –

short, apposite – and their clear presentation. Students to consider other novels they have

Chronology of Henry James; seehttp://barnesandnoble.com/writers/writersdetails.asp?cid=968059Keen readers might look at another James


http://barnesandnoble.com/writers/writersdetails.asp?cid=968059

http://barnesandnoble.com/writers/writersdetails.asp?cid=968059


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read and how this one is distinctively of the C20th.

Consider factual details, like cars, the way people behave, and the way it is written.

‘The first step the American novel has taken since Henry James’ – T.S. Eliot

novel, e.g. Daisy Miller and report back.

Points which show the novel to be ‘a step’ forward in time.

Points which show it to be different from a novel written today.

Students may think the style is not very different. Some unusual vocabulary may be American usage, rather than oldfashioned.

They may also point out practical changes – the speed at which cars drive, the attitude to drinking and driving (but alcohol was forbidden, so no law was needed), the large numbers of servants, etc.

http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/subjects /literature/twentieth.html - for a comprehensive bibliography of books and articles on Scott Fitzgerald and other 20th century novelists writing in English

http://inin.essortment.com/prohibitionamer_ refo.htm - information on prohibition


http://inin.essortment.com/prohibitionamer_refo.htm

http://inin.essortment.com/prohibitionamer_

http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/subjects


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Homework: Write three quiz questions on slips of paper, on different aspects: plot, characters, images, quotations, etc. Note your references to support your answers!

The Great Gatsby Revision

Teacher to collect and jumble the questions and begin a fairly light-hearted quiz.

Aim for everyone to volunteer some answers. Allow time for discussion of points which

arise. Homework: Revise gaps which have become

apparent during quiz.

The purpose is to pick out points which individuals need to revise, but also to encourage: it should be apparent how much they do know.

Unseen timed essay Unseen timed essay: a choice: either a) ‘The characters in The Great Gatsby are irresponsible dreamers.’ How far do you agree with this assessment? Or b) The novel is Fitzgerald’s depiction of a ‘lost generation of men and women adrift in a chaotic hell.’ How far and in what ways do you see this as a fair judgement of The Great Gatsby?

It is important to be able to make the choice and select material quickly and efficiently.

Quotation from Gertrude Stein ‘a lost generation of men and women adrift in a chaotic hell of their own solipsism.’



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Revision Feedback on essays. Students read each other’s, if willing,

especially to see how the other option was tackled.

Focus in particular on how well the opening paragraph sets up the essay. Examiners are impressed if candidates clearly set out their stall at the beginning and the reader can see exactly where they are going.

Revise part of the end of the novel with a close reading of ch7 from ‘The Buchanans’ house floated suddenly towards us’.

At this point, the teacher may have identified problems with knowledge or essay writing which require the whole lesson.

Almost every sentence is worth a pause: exactly what is behind everything that is said? This gives an insight into the main characters, reminding the reader of much that has gone before.

Homework: students to pick a paragraph from anywhere in the novel and write a close commentary on it.

They should a close read the paragraph (AO2) and then, as appropriate, relate it to the novel as a whole

Students read chosen passage and their commentary to the class. Other students may

It should be clear that questions and comments are helpful, not adversely critical. As at the beginning of the



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question or comment. study, everyone’s opinion is valid so long as it is supported from the text.

Feminist viewpoints ’Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply.’ Nick says this about Jordan. How do students react?

Is it a misogynist comment, suggesting women are inferior?

In the light of the whole story, do students think it reflects Fitzgerald’s own opinion?

Or is it a generally held opinion in 1926? Some feminist critics see Daisy as the

scapegoat and some of the other female characters as down-trodden.

Students can debate this. Does Nick censure Tom Buchanan for his

anger with Daisy and Gatsby when he is notorious for having his own lovers?

How does Nick himself treat Jordan? Look at what he says at the end of Chapter 3 and compare it with Chapter 9.

The Resisting Reader: a Feminist Approach to American Fiction Judith Fetterley Midland Books 1981


Remind students that women over 21 did not get the vote in UK until 1928. (1920 in USA)



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Homework: Take one minor female character and write a paragraph about how she is presented. (AO2)

Present this research to the class. Students to decide whether they have changed

their views on how misogynistic or otherwise the narrator is.

Homework: students to formulate any questions they want to ask – about the novel or about the examination.

Revision often works best if one is looking for something specific, rather than trying to revise the whole text.

Revision of description and imagery

Time to answer questions. A last look at description and imagery: this is an

urban novel, moving around four locations, all close together and mostly set in dusk or dark.

The stress now needs to be on encouragement, on how much they do know, and how sensibly to fill in any gaps.

Students find and read aloud short descriptions of stars, the moon, artificial light. Link to AO2

Know your way around the text: The teacher conceals the text from the class and starts reading at a random point. The first student to identify the page number scores a point. Repeat for as long as desired

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/literature/ lesson-plan/2924.html - for some useful recap and chapter by chapter revision stimulus



http://www.teachervision.fen.com/literature/lesson-plan/2924.html

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/literature/lesson-plan/2924.html


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GCE ENGLISH LITERATURE: H071 F661 POETRY AND PROSE 1800 - 1945Suggested teaching time 50 hours Topic Waugh: A Handful of Dust


A Handful of Dust: getting to know the text

Brief discussion of what students already know of the novel, if anything, of the period – it was written in 1934 and of the author.

The title: a phrase used by Conrad, and others before him and more importantly by T S Eliot (probably Waugh’s immediate source).

Students to contribute what the phrase suggests to them.

Read aloud ch 1 to ‘That’s true, my son.’ In pairs or groups of three: Pick two or three facts or opinions they have

gained from these few paragraphs about Mrs Beaver and her son.

Spokesperson from each group reports back

As far as resources are concerned, in the end the only real resource is the text of A Handful of Dust and all secondary resources are just that. Before quickly rushing to other resources for support, students must be encouraged always to trust in the first instance their own reactions to the prime text and to explore that text for justification for their reactions.

If the class edition does not have good notes, it would be useful to have one copy of Penguin Classics ed R Murray Davis.

http://www.fashion-era.com/ 1920s_life_between_the_wars.htm

http://www.historystudystop.co.uk/php/ displayarticle.


Students should be aware that though context is important, writing about the author’s detailed biography is not always helpful.

It should be clear from the outset that all opinions are acceptable, though later, they will need to be supported from the text.

It may surprise students how much a novelist can imply in a short conversation.


http://www.historystudystop.co.uk/php/displayarticle.%0Bphp?article=64&topic=mbr


http://www.fashion-era.com/1920s_life_between_the_wars.htm

http://www.fashion-era.com/1920s_life_between_the_wars.htm


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Homework: finish the chapter, still looking out for all the facts and implications.

php?article=64&topic=mbr http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/

SCHOOLS/WJHS/mediactr/socstupathfinder/worwar/index.html


http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/SCHOOLS/%0BWJHS/mediactr/socstupathfinder/worwar/index.html






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http://www.newi.ac.uk/rdover/between/ lecture.htm

For a wealth of information, critical articles and leads on the work of Waugh see http://www.lhup.edu/jwilson3/Newsletter_37.3.htm~

The brief biography at the beginning of the Penguin edition is enough at this stage.

http://www.questia.com/googleScholar. qst;jsessionid=HTbMYKTsycSBGWj2FMdXXNF3xFCXNjr7mFLLBJNkh1hmJ80hv6r2!1197170711?docId=96508110

The Wasteland (1922) See the Epigraph on the original title page of the novel (Penguin).

Chapter 1 Recap chapter 1. Do readers believe everything Mrs Beaver says? Why not?

Look at the frontispiece drawing of Hetton Abbey (never an abbey, in its present form, of course).

Read the description of the house and Tony’s room and books.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/ mi_qa3643/is_200307/ai_n9293832/pg_3

Essential to start taking notes now, paying especial regard to the requirements of AOs 2 and 4. Make a habit of succinct, clear notes. Remember that if too much is written then the notes will be indigestible when reviewed at revision time. On each chapter there should be:


http://findarticles.com/p/articles/%0Bmi_qa3643/is_200307/ai_n9293832/pg_3

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/%0Bmi_qa3643/is_200307/ai_n9293832/pg_3

http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.%0Bqst;jsessionid=HTbMYKTsycSBGWj2F%0BMdXXNF3xFCXNjr7mFLLBJNkh1hm%0BJ80hv6r2!1197170711?docId=96508110



http://www.lhup.edu/jwilson3/Newsletter_37.3.htm

http://www.lhup.edu/jwilson3/Newsletter_37.3.htm

http://www.newi.ac.uk/rdover/between/lecture.htm

http://www.newi.ac.uk/rdover/between/lecture.htm


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In pairs, write notes on what has been learned about Tony so far, and report back.

Read the section in which Tony and Brenda wake and talk as a dialogue with a narrator.

Homework: Read to the end of Section 1.

o a brief synopsis of events and a note of likely significant features

o a note of any queries and/or points to raise in forthcoming class discussion, at which point

the notes should be added to or modified in the light of the opinions of others

For definitions of various kinds of comedy, see A-Z of English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001)

In pairs, answer these questions: What was comic about the episodes between

Ben and John Andrew; Nanny and John; Tony and John?

What does the lunch scene tell us about the Lasts?

What new facts do we learn about Beaver – and the relationship between him and Brenda? Why does he tip the staff more than he originally planned?

Each pair report back on one of these questions.

Read the beginning of section 2 to ‘Oh just something I thought of . . .’ and suggest what might happen in the future and why.

Essential to start taking notes now, paying especial regard to the requirements of AOs 2 and 4. Make a habit of succinct, clear notes. Remember that if too much is written then the notes will be indigestible when reviewed at revision time. On each chapter there should be:o a brief synopsis of events and a note of

likely significant featureso a note of any queries and/or points to raise

in forthcoming class discussion, at which point the notes should be added to or modified in the light of the opinions of others

For definitions of various kinds of comedy, see A-Z of English Literature by Neil King and

It is good to work with a different student each time.



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Homework: finish Sections 2 and 3. Sarah King (Hodder, 2001)

Recap the reading. What is likely to be the effect of the gossip? Why does Waugh include the station-master’s anecdote? What is the effect of the sentence beginning ‘Brenda wore pyjamas . . .? ‘What is Marjorie’s view? What is Tony’s?

Individually, students look back at Section 4 from ‘What’s all the news?’ to ‘What’s a flat, daddy?’ Write two paragraphs about how Waugh writes here (AO2) and what we learn about the three speakers.

Read chapter 3 Section 1 and complete for homework.

When this kind of exercise is done later on, students should close read the paragraphs (AO2) and then, as appropriate, relate them to the novel as a whole

Chapter 3 Feedback on the piece of writing. If necessary, talk about how to present quotations.

Briefly introduce the Assessment Objectives, placing especial emphasis on AOs 2 & 4.

Recap homework- the drunkenness, Jock’s efforts to do what Brenda wants, anything which readers find humorous.

In brief, irony is a gap between what seems to be said and what is actually conveyed. For a clear definition of irony, see A-Z of English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001)

Students may be shocked by some of the language and attitudes in the episode with Jenny Abdul Akbar; it is important that they understand the different context of the 1930s as well as considering what they think is Waugh’s own attitude, as opposed to his characters’. (AO4)



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Treatment of John Andrew

Discuss Tony’s mood and behaviour, including his treatment of John Andrew.

Discuss the ironies here – who feels guilty? Read aloud and comment on the beginning of

Section 2 – the telegram and the pencilled note; John Andrew’s resentment still; Mrs Beaver; the conversation while dressing.

Homework: read to the end of Section 4.


Quick recap. Read on aloud to the end of section 5,

preferably without stopping.

Students may need to be reminded that hunting was both legal and generally accepted in 1934. (But there is one sentence that suggests that people briefly thought Tony might have sabotaged the hunt.)



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Foreshadowing of death

Recap this crucial section. In crime novels, the writer takes care that the reader should not have become attached to the victim; why is it so different here?

How does Waugh signal the death beforehand? Did the reader notice these foreshadowings?

‘Then this happened:’ ‘Everyone agreed that it was nobody’s fault.’ The accident is dealt with briefly, clearly. What do you consider the effect of Waugh’s method here (AO2)

The students divide into pairs or groups and are allocated one (or more) of the following characters: Jock Grant-Menzies; Mrs Rattery; Tony; John; Ben; Mr Tendril’s niece; Colonel Inch; Miss Ripon.

They are asked to consider the role and significance of the character within the fabric of the story so far – emphasize that this exercise is thus not a mere character

For a definition of foreshadowing see A-Z of English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001)

Students with a knowledge of horses might contribute to the explanations of what happened and decide how realistic it is.



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study They discuss and take notes on their

allotted character Report back. Homework: Finish the chapter.

Understated emotions

Complete the reporting back if necessary.

Recap the reading. Students should notice how little the characters understand each other. Are there any exceptions?

Homework: ‘Emotions are always understated by the characters’ in A Handful of Dust. How far and in what ways do you agree? Make a detailed plan for a response to this essay title.



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GCE ENGLISH LITERATURE: H071 F661 POETRY AND PROSE 1800 - 1945Suggested teaching time

50 hours Topic Waugh: A Handful of Dust


Chapter 4 Students divide into pairs to read and discuss plans.

Set the writing for homework. Read chapter 4 to ‘Tony’s opportunities

to contract the habit of loving and trusting Brenda.’

The divorce laws were very different in the1930s (AO4). Adultery was almost the only grounds for most people. Conventionally, the husband took the blame. It was still regarded as a disgrace and a barrier to a second marriage. Edward VIII abdicated so that he could marry a divorced woman.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womans hour/timeline/1930.shtml

http://www.lhup.edu/jwilson3/ Newsletter_35.2.htm

Alert students to fact that this essay matches the style of question they will encounter in the examination, and refer them to the specimen questions published in the OCR website at http://www.ocr.org.uk/Data/publications/key_documents/AS_Level_GCE_English_Literature_Specimen_Assessment_Materials_Unit_F661.pdf

A Handful of Dust Continuing the first reading.

Read on in ch 4. Do students agree that it begins with some humour, which has faded by the end of the section?

Is Section 2 comic, farcical, sad? Feedback on essay. Focus in particular on how well the

opening paragraph sets up the essay. Examiners are impressed if candidates clearly set out their stall at the beginning and the reader can see exactly where they are going.

Keen readers might find examples from Dickens, e.g. Maggy in Little Dorrit chapter 9.

Students will realise that humour is more subjective than some other judgements.


http://www.ocr.org.uk/Data/publications/%0Bkey_documents/AS_Level_GCE_English_%0BLiterature_Specimen_Assessment_%0BMaterials_Unit_F661.pdf



http://www.lhup.edu/jwilson3/%0BNewsletter_35.2.htm

http://www.lhup.edu/jwilson3/%0BNewsletter_35.2.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womans%0Bhour/timeline/1930.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womans%0Bhour/timeline/1930.shtml


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GCE ENGLISH LITERATURE: H071 F661 POETRY AND PROSE 1800 - 1945

Suggested teaching time 50 hours Topic Waugh: A Handful of Dust


Look at the last part of Section 2 and how it reflects on the previous part.

Recall what students already know of Lady St Cloud.

Read Section 3 aloud. Reggie St Cloud is described like a

character from Dickens. Notice his eating habits, too.

‘He had imagined . . . that nothing could now surprise him.’

Students make notes on everything in this section that has surprised Tony. Is the reader surprised?

Homework: Make sure that knowledge so far is up to date. Look particularly at the way Brenda is portrayed



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Feminist viewpoint ‘Brenda is portrayed as the villain of the novel.’ How far, and in what ways, do you agree with this view.

Begin to discuss this essay title. Necessary to base ideas on what we know

about her. Feminist critics may believe that Waugh is

deliberately drawing a blameworthy female character. (The fact that his own first marriage had failed seems to support this.)

Others will point out Tony’s part in the failure of the marriage.

Many regard the breakdown of marriage as a symptom of the breakdown in 1930s society.

But for this essay the important point is Brenda, her part in it, and whether the student thinks she – or someone else – is the villain.

Students to write a plan for the essay. Share plan with another, to note different

approaches, different evidence.Homework: Write the essay on your own, without further co-operation with another student.

Evelyn Waugh: The Early Years, 1903-1939 by Martin Stannard

It should be clear to students that opinions are acceptable so long as they are supported from the text.

Students should be aware that the value of any writer’s biography to the study of the novels can be over-stated.



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How characters are introduced

Recap the end of ch 4: ‘I am going away for six months or so.’

Read aloud – perhaps dramatically – the beginning of the voyage. They are still in the Channel.The explanation of Tony’s voyage, and the ‘city’.

Contrasts in descriptions – the grey Atlantic and the sapphire skies over the ‘city’.

Because of their sea-sickness, he meets passengers one by one, so so do we. What is the effect of presenting the characters in this way?

Homework: Read to the end of Section 2, noting new characters, and reminders of what is happening in England.

Feedback on essay. Look at common problems in

presentation, spelling, etc.

Waugh’s own South American travel book: Ninety-two Days was published in 1932. A 2007 edition, edited by Pauline Melville, is published by Serif.

In 1933 Waugh published a short story called The Man Who Like Dickens from which he developed the Mr Todd episode in A Handful of Dust (AO3)

There is a big jump here. Students need to keep the first part of the novel in mind as they read.

Recap homework. Read aloud Section 3 - the dialogue

between the Beavers, and then between John and Brenda.



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What are the implications here?

What irony do students find in the relationship between Jenny and Brenda?

Note the gulf between London life and Tony’s now.

Homework: complete Section 3.

Recap section 3. Patterns: Messinger is as sure he ‘knows’

the Macushi people as Tony was sure he knew Brenda.

Tony’s fever and delirium (what does it suggest about him?) and Messinger’s kindness.

The second death in the novel: students to compare how it is narrated with the death of John and note the parallels between Tony’s and Brenda’s situations.

Re-read Tony’s delirious dream as a dialogue. Make a list of all the origins of the dream.



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Chapter 6 Read chapter 6 aloud. Students to note the change in Tony’s

attitude to Brenda. The reading. Why is Mr Todd so

interested in characters and motivation? The watch and the cross. Homework: write a short talk about Mr

Todd and how ‘mad’ you think he is. Divide into groups and present homework

tasks. One scribe from each report back on

points agreed - and disagreed. Students forecast what will happen to

Tony now. Read chapter 7 aloud. After the idyllic first

paragraph, note all the elements of pattern which reflect or parody the early chapters:

Foxes; motor cycle; Teddy; Mr Tendril’s ‘sermon’; Brenda; Colonel Inch; Mrs Beaver’s intervention; Ben.

Clue: look up the word in a German dictionary This chapter, like Tony’s dream, acts as a reminder for students of all that they have read.



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Meaning of the character names

The class to make a random collection of characters’ names on white board or with PowerPoint

Divide them into two – names which seem to have a meaning, and ‘just names’.

Work out what Waugh is suggesting

with some names -e.g. beavers gnaw away and destroy apparently lasting structures, here both physically and metaphorically; they also have a sexual reference to female private parts.

Homework: Look at the chapter titles and decide what they mean.

Some names are more significant than others.



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Context of the novel

Recap the chapter titles and how different they are:o One contemporary slang – who says it? o Two taken form proust;o Three the same, but at different stages in

the life of hetton abbey. These changes in the state of Hetton reflect

the disintegration of society which is one of the novel’s themes.

Students to say what they know of the period, after the upheaval of World War I, the Depression and then World War II.

Tony’s generation just too young to fight in 1914 -18.

Now unable to keep up the large house his ancestors built. Brenda calls him ‘madly feudal’. What does she mean by this?

Also divorce rare, but more common than before 1930.

AO4 resources: The Thirties: a Dream Revolved Julian Symons

Faber 1975 The Thirties and the Nineties Julian Symons

Faber 1990 English Journey J B Priestley 1933 Penguin 1974 The Long Weekend Robert Graves and Alan

Hodge 1941 Abacus 1995 (The last two will be found in libraries, though now out of print.)

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ documentsonline

has information on politics, industrial unrest, etc. http://www.thegreatdepression.co.uk http://www.revision-notes.co.uk/revision/33.html

Students suggest other changes happening. All this is reflected in the structure of the novel

– after the break, Tony’s only function is to readto a mad old man. (AO2). Correlation


http://www.revision-notes.co.uk/revision/33.html

http://www.thegreatdepression.co.uk/

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline


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between time in the Amazon and time in London.



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Revision of essay planning skills

Talk about methods of planning essays to suit different students – bullet points, flow diagrams, spider-grams . . .

‘To be innocent is to be a loser’. How far, and in what ways, do you agree that this is way innocence is presented in A Handful of Dust?

In plenary session, discuss concepts of ‘innocence’

In pairs, find examples of ‘innocence’, and

what happens in each case. Report back. Plan the essay. Homework: write the essay.

Might be worth mentioning Othello’s trusting nature, if students have any knowledge of Shakespeare’s play (AO3)

Divide class into two groups to research Jock Grant-Menzies, in ch 3; and ch4;

Report back, offering notes on facts and opinions, and quotations. Add in his appearance in chapter 7.

Debate the motion: Jock is the most admirable character in the novel.

If possible, more confident students should be asked to oppose the motion – as a challenge if they protest that they agree.

Representation of women in the novel

Pairs of students to research: Polly; Jenny; Veronica and Daisy; Mrs Beaver.

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/ aviationpilots/a/av_timeline.htm for women and


http://womenshistory.about.com/od/%0Baviationpilots/a/av_timeline.htm

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/%0Baviationpilots/a/av_timeline.htm


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Report back: discuss how women are represented by these five?

Suggest women who present a better image. Homework: Research Mrs Rattery and

Marjorie.

flying.

Is Waugh a misogynist?

Report back on the two women. How far are they different from the first set?

Individually, write a two minute speech about how the women are presented in the novel.

Present the speeches. On the evidence presented, the class to

decide whether Waugh is as misogynistic as some critics have suggested.

Women Voice Men: Gender in European Culture by Maya Slater

From Grimes to Brideshead Revisited: the Early novels of Evelyn Waugh by R R Garnett

(Extracts from both on http://books.google.com )

The supposition of Waugh’s misogyny is often based on his failed marriage (AO4)



http://books.google.com/


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Cruel or comic? Read chapter 2 section 3 to ‘forget all about it.’ aloud. Students to decide whether Waugh is mocking cruelly or comically.

Spend five minutes finding another comic paragraph or so to read to the class.

What devices make it comic (AO2) Again, decide whether the intention is cruel.

Does this shed any light on judgments on Waugh’s ‘misogyny’?

Homework: Examine the presentation of either Nanny or Milly and Babs.

For a clear definitions of satire, comedy and irony see A-Z of English Literature by Neil King and Sarah King (Hodder, 2001)

http://www.gwywyr.com/essays/waugh/file.html http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/english/

English151W-03/handful.htm http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/05/04/reviews/

waugh-dust.html

Class and gender Report back on homework. Discuss how Waugh deals with the question of

class as well as gender. Look at the poem The Novelist by WH Auden. Does it shed any light on how Waugh writes

about very different people? Homework: Look closely at the presentation

of Dr Messinger.

Available in collected works. Originally published in New Writing. See Lesson Plan.

Auden wrote this poem in 1938.


http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/05/04/reviews/waugh-dust.html

http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/05/04/reviews/waugh-dust.html

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/english/English151W-03/handful.htm

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/english/English151W-03/handful.htm

http://www.gwywyr.com/essays/waugh/file.html


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Chapter 5 Dr Messinger: he is the instigator of the trip to S. America, but we learn this later. How?

His death is quite rapidly told. Is there a pattern here?

He is quite different from Tony’s other acquaintances. How? Why?

Chapter 5 Section 1: in pairs, make a quick list of the other passengers and any important points you notice.

Graham Greene Journey Without Maps 1936 and The Power and the Glory 1940

http://alumni.web.hertford.ox.ac.uk/main/index for Waugh’s own travel books

George Orwell Shooting an Elephant and Other Essays Penguin, Homage to Catalonia Penguin and Burmese Days Penguin. Modern Classics (or see Google Book Search for extracts).

Some students might research a travel book or novel and report back.

Travel books were quite popular in 1920s/30s as travel became easier.

Social and historical context

Report back on passengers. Travel books and documentary films were

becoming popular; Waugh had travelled in S. America, so the insects, etc are real, though they may now have different names.

Students to notice how Waugh often leaps to the next stage of the story (as at section 2 here) without detailed explanation. It is a technique frequently used in films, which were becoming more and more popular.

Re-read the beginning of Section 2 to ‘the monstrous way he behaved’.

Ninety-two Days Waugh in Abyssinia

As in chapter 2, students will be aware that Waugh’s language and Tony’s attitudes are not now acceptable, but can be tolerated in context. They may notice that the Indians whom Messinger patronises usually know better than he does.

Graham Greene wrote many screen plays.

Students should note the changes from the


http://alumni.web.hertford.ox.ac.uk/main/index


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practical, to the dream, to what is happening in England, and how Waugh accomplishes this. (AO2)

A Handful of Dust: the later chapters

Chapter 5 Section 4. Tony does not know Messinger has died. Read aloud from ‘Brenda went to see the family solicitors’ to ‘resentment and self-pity.’

Students make notes on the content: the differences in attitude between Tony and Brenda;o and on how it is written, the pattern that is

formed.o Homework: Revise chapter 6. Make a list of

all the warnings that Tony will not get away.



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Film version Report back on Homework. Introduce film. Critics have said ‘a great British film’; ‘wobbly

but watchable’; ‘inconsistent changes of tempo’.

What are students’ reactions to these comments now – and again at the end of viewing?

Homework: revise parts of the novel where the film reveals gaps in knowledge.

A Handful of Dust 1988 Dir. Charles Sturridge (DVD 2007)

Article entitled ‘Damned Reading and Damned Readers: A Handful of Dust’ By C Holland in English Review 2004, vol 15; part 1, pages 12-15 (Philip Allan) ISSN 0955-8950

Watch the film over two/three lessons, with pauses to comment on changes in plot, characters, emphases.

Critical viewpoints Students in pairs to look at this Time Out critic’s views of the novel and film and decide whether or not they agree with either or both parts: ‘the novel is a savage, ironic indictment of worthless people, but you wouldn’t know it from the film.’

Plan an essay with this title. Homework: Write the essay, timing it to 50

minutes.

A Film Four critic, quoted on the Internet, wrote (not very well): A pleasing period feel, but although it is the sort of thing the British film industry does well, this has a starchy cold feel which makes it hard to empathise with or care about the self-centred characters.’ Some students might like to argue with this, or write their own reviews.

It is important that students realise that the film is only one aid to studying the novel. Their text is the written one. The value of considering the film is insofar as it makes the student think afresh about Waugh’s novel



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The alternative ending

Read the Preface to the alternative ending aloud And then the Alternative Ending itself. Waugh calls it ‘a curiosity’. Why? In groups, students draw up three columns,

headed ‘events’; ‘likelihood’; ‘reason’. They should look at quite small details Where they cannot agree on the likelihood or

otherwise of each event happening, they should defend their points of view, and if necessary write down alternative reasons. This will probably go into a second lesson.

The resulting table should show how well they understand the two characters (and the few others who come into this Ending)

And how well they understand Waugh’s original concept.

It should be clear that there was a practical, copyright reason for the alternative ending: it was not, as some critics suggest, a simpler, more conventional conclusion especially for the American market.

Revision of essay writing techniques

Feedback on the essay. This is a good time to look at the mechanics of

essays: clarity, organisation, spelling, quotation marks, clear conclusions, etc.

The Modern British Novel by Malcolm Bradbury (Secker and Warburg, 1993)

For a comprehensive list of other books by Waugh (AO3), biographies (AO4), criticism (AO2) and inter-relationship with other texts (AO3), see http://www.doubtinghall.com/further-reading

Spelling may seem a minor issue at this stage, but students should recognise that misspelling of common words, names, and literary terms can distract a reader and so interrupt the flow of the argument and create a bad impression in an examiner.


http://www.doubtinghall.com/further-reading

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?_encoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books-uk&field-author=Malcolm%20Bradbury


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Assessment objectives

Also reintroduce the Assessment Objectives. Students to look at their own responses to see how far they fulfil the AOs especially AOs 2 & 4.

‘The Thirties was a nightmare decade and produced a nightmare literature.’ How far and in what ways do you agree that this is true of A Handful of Dust?

Homework: write a brief clear plan for this essay.

Write the timed essay in 50 minutes, without the text.

Arthurion theme in the novel

Brief spelling test if necessary. Feedback on timed essay. Brief look at the Arthurian theme in this novel:

obviously in the names of the rooms at Hetton; Tony still sleeps in his childhood room,

unchanged;o Brenda has taken Guinevere, the room

his parents had always slept in together, and has modernised it

Some students might research the Camelot theme further and report back.

John Porter http://www.doubtinghall.com


http://www.doubtinghall.com/


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o Less obviously (in fact students may want to disagree) the parallels between Brendaand Guinevere, whose adultery with Lancelot is said to have spoiled Arthur’s reign.

Report back on the Arthurian theme, if chosen. If one theme of the novel is the disintegration

of society, another is sometimes said to be the lack of empathy between characters.

Look at the death of John Andrew: The interactions of his parents;

The sympathy of Mrs Rattery – how well does she help? (Where are her own children?)

The servants;o The London acquaintances.

In pairs, look for points which show Tony does not understand Brenda

And vice versa. What are the differences between them? Then look at Mr Todd. How does he fit into

this theme? Report back and consider characters not so

far mentioned.



= ICT opportunity

GCE ENGLISH LITERATURE: H071 F661 POETRY AND PROSE 1800 - 1945Suggested teaching time

50 hours Topic Waugh: A Handful of Dust


A Handful of Dust Revision timed essay

A choice of timed essay: ‘We are never truly able to understand another person.’ How far and in what ways is this helpful to your understanding of A Handful of Dust?

OR ‘In A Handful of Dust, the humour is invariably tinged

with cruelty.’ How far do you agree with this assessment?

OR ‘A Handful of Dust has humanity in it as well as

brilliance and vivacity.’ How far do you agree with this assessment of the novel?

OR ‘The hero as victim is a recurrent theme in Waugh’s

novels.’ How far, and in what ways, do you find this to be an apt description of Tony Last in A Handful of Dust?

OR Waugh described A Handful of Dust as a novel ‘on

the theme of the betrayed romantic.’ How



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helpful, and in what ways, do you find this comment?

OR ‘Waugh’s treatment of time is a vital ingredient in A

Handful of Dust.’ How far, and in what ways, do you find this to be true?

OR ‘The reader smiles and is subtly horrified at the

same time.’ How far, and in what ways, do you think that A Handful of Dust both amuses and disturbs its readers?

OR ‘John Andrew is central to A Handful of Dust.’ How

far, and in what ways, do you find this to be true?OR ‘Tony Last’s journey is from one jungle to another.’

How far, and in what ways, would you agree? Feedback on essays. Talk about choosing options. Share essay with other students, particularly to see

how the other option might be tackled. In the 1930s, George Orwell wrote ‘Books about

ordinary people behaving in an ordinary manner are

Choosing the option is an important skill. Sometimes the choice seems obvious. When it isn’t, students need to make a decision and keep to it, rather than waste valuable time.



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extremely rare, because they can only be written by someone who is capable of standing both inside and outside the ordinary man.’

Students discuss first whether these are ordinary people

And secondly whether Waugh is standing both inside and outside his characters.

‘Tony Last sees his purpose in life crumbling from the moment John dies.’ How far is this a fair description of what happens in A Handful of Dust?

Class dived into small groups and plan paragraph headings for this essay.

Report back, noticing how quite different approaches can all be successful.

Homework: Compose three quiz questions on slips of paper, as different as possible – quotations, characters, events, ideas. It is important to have a note of references in case answers are questioned! Link to Assessment Objectives.

Revision quiz Collect and jumble the questions. Ask them at random, allowing plenty of time

for discussion. This will probably take two lessons.

The aim should be quite light hearted, identifying gaps, but stressing how much students do know.



= ICT opportunity



Homework: Revise the gaps the quiz has revealed.

Timed essay: ‘Waugh’s writing evokes a strong sense of place’. Choose two of the three main locations, Hetton, London and Amazonas to illustrate this judgement.

Chapter 6 Feedback on essay. Share essays to see how others have dealt with the

third location. Read ch 6 from ‘Weeks passed hopelessly’ to the

end. Discuss the narrative here. How realistic is the

location? What does it tell us about the ‘mad’ Todd? Are there parallels with anyone in the earlier

chapters? Suggest reasons for Waugh’s choice of Dickens for

the reading. Homework: Find good definitions of satire and

suggest examples from the student’s own experience.

Waugh regarded Dickens’s novels as ‘limited and sentimental’.

Look at some examples of satire (AO3) Students decide whether this novel is similar.

Swift: A Modest Proposal Bremner, Bird and Fortune

All discussions of issues also revise the text. Students should recognise the value of re-reading with a specific purpose, rather than



= ICT opportunity



Waugh’s view ‘Satire is a matter of period . . .’

See Preface to Penguin edition. simple re-reading.

Students decide whether they agree with Waugh, and if so, what exactly this says about his view of contemporary society.

There is comedy which is not satirical: in pairs find brief example to read aloud.

Timed essay: Waugh wrote that A Handful of Dust was a study of . . . savages at home and the civilised man’s helpless plight among them’. In what ways does this help in your reading of the novel?

Feedback on essay. Students in pairs to invent possible essay titles. Present them to the class. Class to comment on the questions – are they too

narrow? Too wide reaching to be written in an hour?

Class then to suggest approaches to the more satisfactory questions. This may continue into a second lesson.

Homework: Bring to next lessons any questions remaining about either the novel or the examination.

For most students, at this stage, it is more helpful to stress the successes in their work.



= ICT opportunity



Final revision

Hot-seating activity

Teacher and students to answer students’ questions.

If time, continue students outlining responses to essay titles.

Know your way around the text: The teacher conceals the text from the class and starts reading at a random point. The first student to identify the page number scores a point. Repeat for as long as desired

Hot-seating: students in turn take on the role of different characters, and are questioned by the others re their reactions to one or more episodes in the novel. At the end questioners comment on how far, and in what ways, the role-player was true to how the character would think and feel.



Sample Lesson Plan GCE English Literature: H071F661 Poetry and Prose 1800-1945

Debate on Romantic v Enlightenment thought and 'Expostulation and Reply'

OCR recognises that the teaching of this qualification will vary greatly from school to school and from teacher to teacher. With that in mind, this lesson plan is offered as a possible approach but will be subject to modifications by the individual teacher.

Lesson length is assumed to be one hour.

Learning Objectives for the lesson

Objective 1 To develop contextual understanding of Wordsworth's poetry.

Objective 2 To consider concerns and methods of Romantic poetry.

Objective 3 To enhance knowledge of Romantic views of nature.

Objective 4 To respond with knowledge to language, form and structure.

Objective 5 To understand how language, form and structure affect meaning.

Recap of previous experience and prior knowledge

Students should at this point have a reasonably good knowledge of varying concerns of Neo-Classical and Romantic ideas. Include short recap of some of these ideas.

Content


Time Content5 minutes Students to draw spider diagrams indicating all views associated with

Enlightenment/Romanticism.5 minutes Split the group to debate the merits and shortcomings of each view. Then half to

put forward the argument for Enlightenment, other half to put forward argument for Romanticism.

15 minutes Groups to gather as many relevant ideas as possible and decide how they are to present their ideas. Groups may wish to try to pre-empt what ideas the other group may put forward.

10 minutes Groups to choose one member to be hot-seated to put forward and their arguments. Others should be encouraged to join in to help their chairperson. Summing up of debate should lead to the idea that Romantics did not disagree with reason but believed it should be united with feeling.

Time Content15 minutes Pair up students to read 'Expostulation and Reply'. Discuss the following points:

How is Matthew representative of Enlightenment thoughts? (Key language and imagery). What is the substance of William's reply? How is this typically Romantic? (First person, senses and feeling).

Consolidation

Time Content10 minutes Recap ideas of debate and discuss key language that demonstrates

Wordsworth's view of nature. If not done already, students should be given handouts of 'Romantic attitudes towards nature' (D.Stevens, Romanticism, Cambridge Contexts in Literature pp.49-52) and advised to make notes in preparation for next lesson.



Wordsworth's 'The Tables Turned' and themes in Wordsworth's poetry




Objective 1 To develop understanding of Wordsworth's 'The Tables Turned'.

Objective 2 To appreciate how language, form and structure affect meaning.

Objective 3 To respond with knowledge to Romantic views of nature.

Objective 4 To explore thematic links between Wordsworth's poems.

Objective 5 To develop knowledge of concerns and methods in Wordsworth's poetry.


Recap points chosen from D.Stevens, Romanticism, Cambridge Contexts in Literature pp.49-52 'Romantic attitudes to nature'. Recap points on nature from 'Expostulation and Reply'. Scheme of work indicates Enlightenment notes should be made prior to studying ‘The Tables Turned’ and ‘Expostulation and Reply’. Students could maybe draw ideas together in a spider diagram on OHT.

Content


Time Content5 minutes Pair up students to re-read 'Expostulation and Reply' then read 'The Tables

Turned'.5 minutes Pairs discuss how 'The Tables Turned' is more impassioned and descriptive

compared to 'Expostulation and Reply'. What are we to learn if "nature be your teacher"?

Time Content10 minutes Students should choose 5 quotations that use forceful language to argue the

case for nature, then contrast how reason is presented in a negative light (this could be drawn up as a table). Students should consider different interpretations of nature, e.g. mother nature, human nature. For nature, students may comment on words, such as "preacher" (religious, nature as God-like), "light" (ironic usage of Enlightenment), "spontaneous wisdom" (Preface to Lyrical Ballads, opposes accepted wisdom by Augustans) Nature as source of wisdom/ religious worship of nature. For reason as negative, students may comment on "meddling", "mis-shapes", "murder" put together have an alliterative, memorable feel.

10 minutes Feedback findings from 'The Tables Turned' (should include discussion of poetic techniques in quotations). Recap themes discussed from 'Simon Lee, The Old Huntsman’: nature, rural life, experience, age and youth, loss and grief.

15 minutes In small groups, students to draw up a detailed diagram of themes in Wordsworth's poetry. Students should be encouraged to rank the themes in order of importance.

Consolidation

Time Content5 minutes Whole class to create a spider diagram or list on OHT/whiteboard of all themes

discovered so far in Wordsworth's poetry.10 minutes Class discuss what has been learnt in the session. How convinced were students

of Wordsworth's argument for the wisdom of nature? Could 'The Tables Turned’ even be read as a religious poem? Advise students they will be asked to produce a written response on one of the poems next lesson and should revise all work completed so far.



Wilfred Owen 'Disabled'




Objective 1 To develop understanding of Wilfred Owen's 'Disabled'.

Objective 2 To consider how language, form and structure affect meaning.

Objective 3 To use contextual knowledge of First World War.

Objective 4 To consider the interpretations of other readers.

Objective 5 To develop understanding of Owen's methods and concerns.


Recap of imagined feelings of young recruits going to war. Short discussion of weaponry used during First World War - machine guns, gas, tanks, mines.

Content


Time Content5 minutes Whole class read 'Disabled' to grasp general meaning of poem.

5 minutes Small groups to assign focus points for individual members to explore:o soldier's life before injury o soldier's life after injury o reasons for joining upo illusion and reality of war o what hurts soldier the most - physical or emotional injuryo words associated with age and youth.

15 minutes Individuals to annotate copies of 'Disabled' according to their given focus point.

15 minutes Groups to switch around so all those working on same focus point are working as one group to debate their individual findings.

Time Content10 minutes Original groups to reconvene to discuss ideas they discovered from other groups

and transfer all ideas on to A3 paper.

Consolidation

Time Content10 minutes Whole class to address each focus point in turn to examine the different

interpretations discovered.



Wilfred Owen 'Mental Cases'




Objective 1 To develop understanding of Wilfred Owen's 'Mental Cases'.

Objective 2 To consider how language, form and structure affect meaning.

Objective 3 To use contextual knowledge of First World War.

Objective 4 To consider the interpretations of other readers.

Objective 5 To develop understanding of Owen's methods and concerns.


Short discussion of horrific images in 'Disabled'. Discuss Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (only identified after 1st Gulf War) and Owen's experiences of shell shock. Brainstorm recurring horrific images in Owen's poetry - dreams, blindness, death.

Content

Time Content10 minutes Whole class view some of the animation images on

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/ . How do students think they would react to horrors of war?

5 minutes Pair up students to read 'Mental Cases' to gain a general understanding of the poem.

10 minutes Pairs discuss the structure of the first stanza. Who do they imagine speaking? Why are so many questions asked? What is the speaker trying to understand?

15 minutes Put a copy of stanzas 2 and 3 on OHT / whiteboard. Volunteers to underline/annotate the key words and phrases suggesting violence. What picture is created of the men's state of mind?

10 minutes Students to review the whole poem and add their own annotations of visual and aural imagery, colour, sensory descriptions.

Consolidation

Time Content


http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/

10 minutes Whole class discuss the essay title: "The worst injuries of war are emotional not physical." With reference to 'Disabled' and 'Mental Cases', to what extent do you agree? Students to write down the title and be reminded of assessment objectives for this unit. Essay to be completed for homework.


Sample GCE Lesson Plan: GCE English Literature H071F661 Poetry and Prose 1800 -1945

Introduction to Pride and Prejudice


Lesson length is assumed to be one hour,


Objective 1 Students to demonstrate what if anything they already know about the novel and the author.

Objective 2 Students to begin a close reading of the novel.

Objective 3 Students to begin to analyse the ways in which language shapes meaning in a literary text.


Students and teacher to discover in a relaxed way how many students have already read Pride and Prejudice, how many have read other Austen novels and what films or other productions they have seen.

Content

Time Content10 minutes Teacher to make it clear that plenty of time will be available for reading,

because thorough knowledge is essential.Students who know least about the novel to say what ‘prejudices’ – pre-judgements – preconceptions – they have about the novel at this stage. Open discussion?

10 minutes Read the first sentence aloud.Why is it famous?What is the author’s tone here? Factual? Sarcastic? Ironic?What does it suggest about the subject matter of the novel?

10 minutes Read Chapter 1 as a drama, with a narrator and Mr and Mrs Bennet.


Time Content20 minutes What have we learned about Mr Bennet?

Mrs Bennet?How have we learned it? – through their dialogue, and also from the narrator.Essential to start taking notes now, paying especial regard to the requirements of AOs 2 and 4. Make a habit of succinct, clear notes. Remember that if too much is written then the notes will be indigestible when reviewed at revision time. On each chapter there should be: a brief synopsis of events + a note of likely significant features a note of any queries and/or points to raise in forthcoming class discussion,

at which point the notes should be added to or modified in the light of the opinions of others.

Consolidation

Time Content5 minutes It should be clear that a start has been made and everyone now is at the same

point, whatever the previous knowledge.

5 minutes Set chapters 2 – 6 to be read for the next lesson.



An introduction to the use of letters in Pride and Prejudice




Objective 1 Students to understand the context in which the letters were written.

Objective 2 To analyse the ways in which language and form shape meaning in the text.

Objective 3 To understand the different functions of the letters , bearing in mind the requirements of AOs 2 and 4.


Remind students how many letters there are in this novel.

Students to recall letters which made a particular impression on them.

Content

Time Content10 minutes Teacher to introduce the idea of the epistolary novel, bearing in mind the

requirements of AOs 3 and 4. Much early fiction written entirely in the form of letters, for example

Richardson’s Pamela in 1740. Jane Austen tried the form herself, in Lady Susan, but found it

unsatisfactory. Students might suggest the drawbacks. Some writers have continued to use the form, for example The Color Purple

in 1982. Students may be able to suggest others.

10 minutes Some of Jane Austen’s letters still exist, though her sister Cassandra destroyed many after her death. Read one aloud e.g. 8 November 1800 (See Scheme of Work) Students to discuss why letters were so important at the time. (We write

fewer now, but it is still possible to see a short story developing in a series of emails or texts).

5 minutes A student to read aloud Mr Collins’ letter in Chapter 48.

15 minutes In pairs or groups of three: Discuss the substance of the letter. What does it say about the writer, a

churchman? Discuss its style. What does it suggest about his character and attitude?


Time Content Jane and Elizabeth make no comment. Nor does the narrator. Why not?At the beginning of the discussion, advise that one member must briefly report back at the end and that s/he should take notes.

Consolidation

Time Content10 minutes Plan homework to consolidate this: some individuals or pairs to prepare a

presentation on one or two letters from the novel for the next lesson. Agree which, so that letters are not duplicated.

Others to research and briefly present Pamela, The Color Purple or another epistolary novel from any period.



The use of direct and ’free indirect speech’ in Pride and Prejudice




Objective 1 Students to demonstrate critical understanding in analysing the ways in which form and language in dialogue shape the meaning. (AO2)


Recall how much of the novel is dialogue.

Recall examples of characters whose speech is particularly distinctive.

Content

Time Content10 minutes Read to the end of Chapter 13 from ‘he had not long been seated’.

Students identify direct and indirect speech and suggest why each is used at that point.

10 minutes Read the last two paragraphs of Chapter 4.Identify in what ways this indirect speech is different from the first extract – sometimes called ‘free indirect style’Explain that Jane Austen was one of the first to use it extensively, to show how different characters were thinking, without using a first person narrative.

10 minutes It can also be used for brevity, and often for its humorous effect.Read aloud the end of chapter 15, from ‘Mrs Philips was always glad’ as a good example of both effects.

10minutes Read silently the end of Chapter 29 from ‘When the gentlemen had joined them’.List what is learned about each character from the indirect speech here

10 minutes In groups, students share what they have discovered, one acting as scribe to report back the main points after a few minutes.

Consolidation

10 minutes Recap the different kinds of speech and their functions.



Revision of whole text




Objective 1 Consolidate knowledge of content.

Objective 2 Consolidate critical understanding of how form and language shape meanings in this text (AO2)

Objective 3 Consolidate understanding of the context in which Jane Austen was writing. (AO4)


Encourage students to recognise how much they already know.

Content

Time Content15 minutes Each student to write three questions on the novel on separate slips of paper.

Alert them to the style of question they should be aiming for (as a template for them use specimen questions published in the OCR website at http://www.ocr.org.uk/Data/publications/key_documents/AS_Level_GCE_English_Literature_Specimen_Assessment_Materials_Unit_F661.pdfAim for different kinds of question, e.g. on content, style, context, quotation. Link these to relevant AOsMake a note of references so that the answer can be justified and explained later.

35 minutes Teacher to collect and jumble the slips.Students volunteer answers, elaborating where possible. Allow some brief discussion of question setter’s response where appropriate.Ensure all students volunteer at least once.

Consolidation

Time Content10 minutes Students to use experience of questions so far to guide their revision.

Quiz to continue in next lesson.


http://www.ocr.org.uk/Data/publications/key_documents/AS_Level_GCE_English_Literature_Specimen_Assessment_Materials_Unit_F661.pdf

http://www.ocr.org.uk/Data/publications/key_documents/AS_Level_GCE_English_Literature_Specimen_Assessment_Materials_Unit_F661.pdf


Close reading: the death of John Andrew in a Handful of Dust




Objective 1 Articulate creative, informed and relevant response to the text.

Objective 2 Demonstrate critical understanding in analysing the ways in which language shapes meanings.


Chapter 3, Section 5 has been read for homework.

Content

Time Content5 minutes Students to suggest why Waugh allows John to die when the reader has

become so attached to him. (A crime writer avoids this happening with the victim.)

10 minutes In pairs, students search for Waugh’s forewarnings of the death.

10 minutes Report back: Brenda says ‘He’s far too young.’ Tony writes ‘I hope he doesn’t break his neck.’ Nanny says,’ You won’t see any death.’ John says, 'But there mayn’t be another day. The world may come to an

end.’Students may find more.

15 minutes In nine groups, students research the roles of characters in Section 5: Jock Grant-Menzies; Mrs Rattery; Tony; John himself; Ben; Mr Tendril’s

niece; Colonel Inch; Miss Ripon.

15 Minutes Begin reporting back. This will probably have to continue into the next lesson.

Consolidation

Time Content5 minutes Set the rest of the chapter for homework.



Waugh’s creation of characters




Objective 1 Articulate creative, informed and relevant responses

Objective 2 Demonstrate detailed critical understanding in analysing the ways in which language shapes meanings.

Objective 3 Explore connections between different literary texts.


Students will have examined the presentation of most of the female characters, and for the previous homework looked specifically at either nanny or Milly and Babs.

Content

Time Content10 minutes One or two students report back on their research on nanny.

10 minutes One or two report back on Milly and Babs.

10 minutes Consolidate: How does Waugh make class and race differences as well as gender apparent?

20 minutes Distribute The Novelist and read silently and then aloud. Discuss its meaning and how it links with the examination of the different characters students have been examining. (See below)

Consolidation

Time Content10 minutes Novelists such as Waugh invent characters and invest them with a life which

belongs in the narrative but does not necessarily reflect the novelist’s own views. For homework: students to examine Dr Messinger closely, to report back in the next lesson.


The Novelist Encased in talent like a uniform,

The rank of every poet is well known:They can amaze us like a thunderstorm, Or die so young, or live for years alone.

They can dash forward like hussars: but heMust struggle out of his boyish gift and learn

How to be plain and awkward, how to beOne after whom none think it worth to turn.

For, to achieve his lightest wish, he mustBecome the whole of boredom, subject to

Vulgar complaints like love, among the Just

Be just, among the Filthy filthy too,And in his own weak person, if he can,Dully put up with all the wrongs of Man.

W H Auden 1938



Evelyn Waugh: A comic writer and nothing else?*




Objective 1 Articulate creative, informed and relevant responses to literary texts

Objective 2 Demonstrate detailed critical understanding of the ways in which language shapes meanings in literary texts

Objective 3 Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.


The first few paragraphs of Chapter 4 have been read.

Content

Time Content10 minutes A brief recap, noticing Tony’s loneliness, bewilderment, and slight vacillation.

Teacher to explain the conventions of divorce in the 1920s – that adultery was almost the only grounds, it was often set up falsely with a detective ‘proving’ it, and that it was conventional for the husband to take the blame.

5 -10 minutes Read from ‘The fourth weekend. . ‘ to the end of Section 1, as dialogue with a narrator.

5 -10 minutes In pairs or groups of three, students suggest points which are humorous, and others which are sad, noticing that they may not always agree with each other on these. A spokesperson from each group reports back.

15 minutes Read Section 2 to ‘. . . reading that morning.’ aloud.

15 minutes Again, students identify moments of farce, comedy and pathos and try to decide what the writer wants the effect of the whole passage to be. Students may need to be reminded that the racist language – though not

condoned by everyone – was common in the 1930s. They will also notice that Winnie’s sleeping arrangements would shock a

twenty-first century reader but seemed quite acceptable at the time.


Consolidation

Time Content5 minutes Waugh mixes comedy with serious, even sad, subject matter so that

sometimes they are hard to separate.

Reviewing Brideshead Revisited in 1945, the anonymous critic in The Times Literary Supplement wrote ‘Mr Evelyn Waugh has seldom been a comic writer and nothing else, for the moralist . . . was almost always to be discovered looking over his shoulder and casting a somewhat chill shadow upon his buffoonery.’



A Handful of Dust: Comedy or misogyny?




Objective 1 Articulate creative, informed and relevant responses to literary texts.

Objective 2 Demonstrate detailed critical understanding in analysing the ways in which language shapes meaning in literary texts.

Insert Recap of previous experience and prior knowledge

Brenda has just decided to go to a party in London with John Beaver

Content

Time Content5 minutes Read Chapter 2, Section 3 to’ . . . forget all about it’ aloud as a play – Tony,

John, nanny and a narrator.

10 minutes Discuss the humour here: Do students find it funny? In what ways? Tony is teasing, but does what he says reveal more than that? What is the difference between his treatment of John, and nanny’s? What does her comment reveal about nanny?

10 minutes Students divide into pairs and search for a short passage from anywhere in the novel which they think has humour. With AO2 in mind (Objective 2 above) they should be prepared to deliver some close reading of that passage to the rest of the class, with all students in the group making some oral contribution.

25 minutes Begin the presentations. After two or three, students note whether any pattern is beginning to emerge. Some critics regard Waugh’s novel as evidence of his misogyny. Do the passages read so far suggest this?Continue the readings. Are all the female characters treated as cruelly as Lady Cockpurse? Or is the humour more at the expense of 1920s society?Or do students think there is another target?Or that Waugh is using humour purely for entertainment?


Consolidation

Time Content5 minutes Students will find feminist critics who regard the novel as very misogynistic;

other critics disagree profoundly. Students are at liberty to decide their own stance, but it must always be supported from the text.

5 minutes Homework: students to research three women: nanny, Milly and Babs to report back next lesson.


Other forms of Support

In order to help you implement the new English Literature specification effectively, OCR offers a comprehensive package of support. This includes:

OCR Training

Get Started…towards successful delivery of the new specifications

These full-day events will run from Spring 2008 and will look at the new specifications in more depth, with emphasis on first delivery.

Visit www.ocr.org.uk for more details.

Mill Wharf Training

Additional events are also available through our partner, Mill Wharf Training. It offers a range of courses on innovative teaching practice and whole-school issues - www.mill-wharf-training.co.uk.

e-Communities

Over 70 e-Communities offer you a fast, dynamic communication channel to make contact with other subject specialists. Our online mailing list covers a wide range of subjects and enables you to share knowledge and views via email.

Visit https://community.ocr.org.uk, choose your community and join the discussion!

Interchange

OCR Interchange has been developed to help you to carry out day to day administration functions online, quickly and easily. The site allows you to register and enter candidates online. In addition, you can gain immediate free access to candidate information at your convenience. Sign up at https://interchange.ocr.org.uk


https://interchange.ocr.org.uk/

https://community.ocr.org.uk/

http://www.mill-wharf-training.co.uk/

http://www.ocr.org.uk/

Published ResourcesOCR offers centres a wealth of quality published support with a fantastic choice of ‘Official Publisher Partner’ and ‘Approved Publication’ resources, all endorsed by OCR for use with OCR specifications.

Publisher partners

OCR works in close collaboration with three Publisher Partners; Hodder, Heinemann and Oxford University Press (OUP) to ensure centres have access to:

Better published support, available when you need it, tailored to OCR specifications

Quality resources produced in consultation with OCR subject teams, which are linked to OCR’s teacher support materials

More resources for specifications with lower candidate entries

Materials that are subject to a thorough quality assurance process to achieve endorsement

Oxford University Press (OUP) is producing the following resources for OCR GCE English Literature for first teaching in September 2008

Oxford University Press (OUP) is producing the following resources for OCR GCE English Literature for first teaching in September 2008.

OCR GCE Poetry Anthology ISBN: 9780198386957 April 2008OCR GCE Critical Anthology ISBN: 9780198386964 April 2008OCR GCE Literature Coursework OxBox CD-ROM ISBN: 9780198386971 September 2008

Approved publications

OCR still endorses other publisher materials, which undergo a thorough quality assurance process to achieve endorsement. By offering a choice of endorsed materials, centres can be assured of quality support for all OCR qualifications.

Endorsement

OCR endorses a range of publisher materials to provide quality support for centres delivering its qualifications. You can be confident that materials branded with OCR’s “Official Publishing Partner” or “Approved publication” logos have undergone a thorough quality assurance process to achieve endorsement. All responsibility for the content of the publisher’s materials rests with the publisher.

These endorsements do not mean that the materials are the only suitable resources available or necessary to achieve an OCR qualification. Any resource lists which are produced by OCR shall include a range of appropriate texts.


Documents

Unit F661 - Poetry and prose (Word version)